On Wednesday evening March 11th, 2026, at about 9:30 pm, Rochester Police fatally shot a man who reportedly grabbed an officer’s gun while being detained for a mental health hold. The fatal shooting was the first involving the Rochester Police Department since 2007, and it occurred despite a co-response by a mental health professional from the Olmsted County Crisis Response Team (CRT). The incident illustrates the difficulties and dangers facing our public safety personnel when dealing with the mentally ill.
The incident
The event began with a 911 call for a domestic related issue involving a man believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis. This triggered a co-response by the CRT member – a model becoming more common around the state and nation as a way to help de-escalate potentially volatile situations involving the mentally ill. Olmsted County’s CRT co-response protocol went into effect in January 2025.
Once on scene the CRT and the police determined the man was a threat to himself and others and attempted to detain the man for transport to the hospital on a mental health hold. The man physically resisted and during the struggle he reportedly grabbed the firearm of one of the officers. Another officer assessed that action as an imminent threat to the life of those present and shot the man. Life saving measures were conducted at the scene and the man was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
As is customary in officer involved shootings, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s (BCA) Force Investigations Unit was called to investigate the use of deadly force by the police officer. Results of that investigation will be turned over to the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office who will determine, either independently or through a grand jury, whether the use of deadly force was justified under the law.
The law
Minnesota state statute 609.066 authorizes peace officers to use deadly force in limited situations including:
“…if an objectively reasonable officer would believe, based on the totality of the circumstances known to the officer at the time and without the benefit of hindsight, that such force is necessary:
(1) to protect the peace officer or another from death or great bodily harm, provided that the threat:
(i) can be articulated with specificity;
(ii) is reasonably likely to occur absent action by the law enforcement officer; and
(iii) must be addressed through the use of deadly force without unreasonable delay…”
The investigative and legal determination process can take months to over a year to complete. The officers involved have likely been placed on administrative leave for several days, and the Rochester Police Department will evaluate when each officer is fit for a return to duty on an individual basis.
Based on the limited information available, it appears the response was handled properly, especially as it included the CRT co-response in an effort to de-escalate the volatile situation. The fatal shooting illustrates that despite best practices being employed, dealing with the mentally ill in a crisis can turn dangerous for first responders without warning – a heartbreaking reality for everyone involved.
