Victim, officers involved in deadly North Branch shooting identified
NORTH BRANCH, Minn. — State investigators have revealed the names of those involved in a fatal shooting in North Branch last Thursday.
Officers were called to the area of Third Avenue and Elm Street on the report of an "intoxicated and suicidal woman who was armed with a handgun" at 9:19 p.m.
Police say the woman did not acknowledge orders from officers to drop her gun. As a result, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says officer Kyle Miller deployed PepperBall rounds.
The woman is then allegedly seen on squad camera pointing an object at the officers. In response, officer Duane Southworth fired his department rifle multiple times, striking the woman, investigators say.
Officers on the scene attempted to treat the woman, but she died from her injuries, according to police.
The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office identified the woman as 36-year-old Jamie Ann Crabtree.
Both Miller and Southworth are on critical incident leave.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will review squad car camera and body camera footage from the incident as part of its ongoing investigation.
Police say officers recovered a handgun, a gun case and rifle cartridge casings at the scene.
—
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.
