ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified the St. Paul Police Department officers who discharged their firearms during a use-of-force incident on Thursday morning in Belle Plaine. Both are on standard critical incident leave.

• Officer Aaron Bohlen has been in law enforcement for 10 years.
• Officer Lance Christianson has been in law enforcement for 20 yea​rs.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office today identified the man who died of injuries sustained during the incident. The medical examiner said Seantrell Tyreese Murdock, 29, of Belle Plaine, died of multiple gunshot wounds. No one else was injured during the incident.

According to the BCA’s preliminary investigation, officers located Murdock – who was being sought in connection with a St. Paul homicide investigation – as he walked away from a residence where he had been staying on the 100 block of Meridian Street. Investigators approached him near the intersection of South Chestnut and East Prairie streets and at one point during the confrontation that followed, the officers fired their weapons, striking Murdock.

Officers on the scene provided medical aid until Ridgeview Belle Plaine paramedics arrived. Murdock was taken by air ambulance to HCMC in Minneapolis where he died of his injuries a short time later.

BCA crime scene personnel recovered a handgun from the location where Murdock was shot.

Body camera video captured portions of the incident. The BCA investigation is in its very early stages. When the investigation is complete the BCA will provide its findings without recommendation of charges to the Scott County Attorney’s Office for review.

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CONTACT:

Jill Oliveira  651-793-2726
jill.oliveira@state.mn.us