MONTROSE, Minn. — The Dollar General in Montrose was back open Tuesday morning after a Wright County deputy shot a suspect in the parking lot Monday afternoon.
Workers say the suspect came in to buy some chips, soda and pizza, and was cracking jokes with employees.
On his way out he was approached by Wright County deputies who had a warrant for his arrest.
Ed Obayashi is a deputy sheriff and policy advisor for the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office in California. He is also a national law enforcement advisor and use-of-force expert.
He says arrests in public places happen all the time, usually for low-level offenses or when law enforcement decide it's safer than arresting the suspect at home.
"Definitely officer safety issues. You don't know what's behind that door. You don't know who's inside besides the individual. It could be family members, children, etc.,” Obayashi said.
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office says deputies did try to arrest this suspect at his home previously, but they encountered threats and hostility, so they decided to go with a different approach.
A spokesperson says the department was hoping to avoid an hours-long standoff at the suspect's home, which could have put the suspect, the community and deputies in harm's way.
"I would say 99 times out of 100 these are low key, non-events," Obayashi said.
However, in this particular case, Obayashi suspects the deputies didn't expect to see the resistance they encountered outside the Dollar General in Montrose, and they may not have anticipated the suspect carrying a gun.
"Unfortunately, it appears it escalated to a situation that was unanticipated,” Obayashi said.
The Wright County Sheriff's Office says their deputies approached the suspect as he was leaving the Dollar General around 1 p.m. Monday afternoon.
Officials say the suspect refused to comply with their commands and he showed a gun.
The deputies first tried less lethal options to arrest the suspect, but officials say one deputy eventually fired his weapon and shot the suspect.
The sheriff’s office says deputies provided medical assistance and the suspect was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
The Minnesota BCA has now taken over the case.
A BCA spokesperson says they will release additional information once their preliminary investigation is complete.
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