Bemidji Police Chief Releases Statement On Officer-Involved Shooting

“Our community has experienced a tragedy,” said Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin. “One life is lost and others are irreversibly changed forever.”

In a press release that was released Friday afternoon, Chief Mastin recognized the fact that everyone wants answers as to what happened on the night of November 28th.

Mastin said he agrees, and recognizes that people want the details of this case to be made public immediately. Mastin said that it is important we all understand that a case of this significance takes time and due diligence to ensure nothing is missed.

Immediately after the incident, the Bemidji Police Department requested an independent investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, who will review all of the evidence that has collected including, but not limited to, interviews, videos, physical evidence, autopsy and toxicology reports.

Mastin said that once the BCA investigation is complete, it will be forwarded to the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office for review.

Mastin says there have been untruthful rumors spread across the community and social media by people who do not have facts related to this case. He said it is important that people not promote a false narrative that spreads hate throughout our community. Mastin says the rumors only create “further division and destroy the bridges of trust we have already built.”

As for the body camera worn by the Bemidji Police Officer, Mastin says the video will be made public. However, he says important details need to be considered, such as the risk of tainting a jury that may be required for a trial or grand jury. He also said that they are considering the family of the deceased, once the video is made public it will be shared across all media platforms.