Pine County Sheriff’s Office Involved In 2 ‘Use-Of-Force’ Incidents Tuesday

PINE COUNTY, Minn. – The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating two separate use-of-force incidents that unfolded Tuesday with the Pine County Sheriff’s Office.

The first incident happened around 2 p.m. in Pine City in the form of a shooting.

Deputing were trying to arrest a man wanted on a felony warrant.

The BCA said at one point deputies fired their weapons, which struck the suspect.

That suspect was hospitalized and listed in critical condition Tuesday evening.

The deputies were wearing body cameras.

The BCA said it will release more information as the investigation unfolds.

The second use-of-force incident happened around 4 p.m. on northbound I-35 near Sandstone.

According to the BCA, Minnesota State Patrol troopers were pursuing a vehicle for speeding when it went off the road and into a ditch.  Pine County sheriff’s deputies then arrived on scene.

“The subject, who was the driver and alone in the vehicle, did not exit the vehicle and was not responding to commands,” according to the BCA.

At one point, a deputy fired “less-than-lethal rounds, which broke vehicle windows, then deployed a K-9,” according to the BCA.

Then there was no response, the BCA said deputies approached the vehicle to find the man dead from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities said they recovered a handgun from the vehicle.

“No trooper or deputy fired their service weapon,” according to the BCA.

Troopers and deputies were wearing body cameras.

The BCA said it will release more information pending further investigation.