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Ramsey Co. Attorney: Police shooting in Sept. is justified

Officer Steven Mattson told investigators he thinks Ronald Davis would have killed him.

ST PAUL, Minn. — The Ramsey County Attorney's Office has determined that criminal charges are not warranted in an officer-involved shooting in St. Paul last September.

Prosecutors say that the use of force by St. Paul police officer Steven Mattson was legally justified in the shooting death of Ronald Davis.

The 31-year-old Davis was shot on the night of Sept. 15, 2019 after he rear-ended a squad car at the intersection of Thomas Avenue West and North Griggs Street. 

Officer Steven Mattson told investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) he got out of the squad, and was confronted by Davis. 

Mattson pulled his firearm and fatally shot the suspect. 

During a news conference in September, St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell released bodycam video of the shooting.

RELATED: Bodycam video to be released Tuesday in St. Paul officer-involved shooting

At that 2019 news conference, Axtell said the bodycam video clearly showed Officer Mattson had no choice but to defend himself against the attack from Davis.

Later in a news release, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter addressed the release of the bodycam video saying, “As the son of a longtime police officer, I can’t look at that video and imagine what else Officer Mattson could’ve been done."

RELATED: St. Paul Police to release body camera footage of deadly officer-involved shooting

RELATED: BCA: Man killed by St. Paul officer confronted him with knife

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