UPDATE: Officers Identified in Aitkin Co. Shooting

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has identified the officers involved a deadly shooting in Aitkin County on Tuesday. 

Aitkin County Deputies Lawrence Derksen and Greg Payment, along with Minnesota DNR conservation officer Jeff Koehn have all been placed on administrative leave.  Derksen is a 24-year vet of the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office. Payment and Koehn have been with their respective departments for ten years. 

The Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office was called around 4:25 Tuesday night to conduct a welfare check on a suicidal woman. 

Authorities located the woman’s vehicle and followed her to 340th Place near Highway 210 and Highway 169 in Fleming Township.  A Minnesota DNR Conservation officer also responded to the scene. 

When police arrived, the woman stayed in her car and displayed a firearm, threatening to harm herself. 

Over the next 90 minutes, officers attempted to convince the woman to discard her weapons.   Police say at one point, she got out of the car.  At least twice during the exchange, the woman fired shots at the officer. 

Officers returned fire, striking the woman. 

The officers attempted to render first at the scene.   The woman was airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale where she later died. 

Her body has been taken to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. 

The woman’s identity is being withheld pending the notification of family. 

The incident remains under investigation by the Minnesota BCA.