BCA Identifies Man, Officer in Fatal Rochester Police Shooting
BY MN CRIME STAFF
Investigators have identified the man who was fatally shot by an officer during a confrontation inside a Rochester apartment last week.
The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 at an apartment along the 1900 block of Ashland Drive Northwest.
The man killed was publicly identified Tuesday as Cleavon White, 47, of Rochester.
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The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says Rochester police officer Josiah Duit fired the fatal shots. He has three years of law enforcement experience and was placed on critical incident leave per standard procedure, the BCA said.
According to the BCA's investigation, Rochester officers and a Crisis Response Team social worker were called to the apartment on a report that a man was having a mental health crisis. An adult woman and multiple children were also in the apartment when they arrived, investigators say.
Officers and the social worker spoke with White inside the apartment and noted he was acting erratically and appeared paranoid. They determined he posed a threat to himself and others and decided to place him on a 72-hour mental health hold for transport to a hospital. White refused to go, the BCA said.
PREVIOUSLY: Rochester Officer Fatally Shoots Man Who Grabbed Cop's Gun
Duit and other officers then attempted to take White into custody. White resisted and a struggle broke out. During the struggle, White grabbed an officer's firearm and pulled the trigger, causing the gun to fire. That officer yelled that White was going for the gun. Duit then fired multiple shots, striking White.
Officers immediately began providing medical aid until an ambulance arrived and transported White to Mayo Clinic Hospital Saint Marys Campus, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.
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Rochester Police Chief Jim Franklin discussed the shooting during a press conference the following day, saying White had become "increasingly agitated" during the encounter and posed an immediate threat to others at the scene.
Body-worn cameras captured portions of the incident, though they have not been publicly released.. The BCA is leading the investigation, which is standard in officer-involved shootings across the state. Once complete, the agency will present its findings without a recommendation on charges to the Olmsted County Attorney's Office for review.
The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 at an apartment along the 1900 block of Ashland Drive Northwest.