ST PAUL, Minn. — The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has identified the officer who shot and killed a man in his apartment in St. Paul last weekend.
The BCA says SPPD officer Abdirahman Dahir was the one who fatally shot and killed 65-year-old Yia Xiong, who authorities claim was wielding a knife.
Officer Dahir, who has one year of law enforcement experience, and officer Noushue Cha responded to reports of a man threatening residents with a knife, according to a release from the BCA.
Upon arrival, residents of the building directed the officers to a hallway where Xiong was located and allegedly holding a knife.
A statement released Wednesday by the BCA says officers told Xiong to drop the knife before he turned to unlock his apartment door. The BCA claims as Xiong was entering his apartment, officers kicked the door to prevent it from closing, a detail that had not been disclosed previously.
Dahir and Cha then allegedly backed away from the door, according to the BCA statement. That's when authorities say Xiong emerged from the unit, allegedly with a knife still in hand. Cha fired his taser at Xiong and Dahir opened fire with his department rifle.
Xiong died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the BCA.
BCA crime scene personnel allegedly recovered a 16-inch traditional Hmong knife from the scene.
Both officers were wearing body cameras, the footage from which isn’t expected to be available to the public until the case is closed and fully adjudicated, according to the BCA.
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