This morning at 11:41 a.m., deputies and officers from the Dakota County Sheriff's Office and Lakeville Police Department attempted to serve an emergency Order for Protection which included an order for the subject to vacate the residence. In addition, the subject had an active arrest warrant for 4th Degree Assault on a Peace Officer. The address was in the 20000 block of Italy Avenue in the City of Lakeville. The subject, a 36-year-old white male, has had past contact with the Lakeville Police Department.
Within seconds of deputies and officers entering the residence, the subject, who was armed with a gun, opened fire on the deputies and officers. One Dakota County deputy returned fire, fatally striking the suspect. Deputies and officers rendered lifesaving efforts; however, the male was pronounced deceased on scene.
Law enforcement officers place their lives in danger every day to protect the public and enforce the law. In this situation the subject could have taken the lives of deputies, officers or the public with his decision to open fire. Absent the actions of the deputy, others could have been injured or killed. We are fortunate that all deputies and officers were physically unharmed. The deputies and officers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative leave which is standard practice for those in officer involved shootings. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is investigating the incident and it remains an open investigation. No further details of the incident will be released at this time. We anticipate providing additional information early next week.