MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Officials in Crow Wing County have identified the man killed by sheriff’s deputies Wednesday after he shot a deputy in the arm.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that the man killed was 50-year-old Donald Peter Johnson.
Deputies went to Johnson’s home, located on Sleepy Hollow Road in the St. Mathias Township, to perform a welfare check Wednesday afternoon. When they arrived, there was no one home. Then they heard a gunshot, coming from the woods just south of the home.
In the woods, deputies found Johnson in a tree stand, the sheriff’s office said. He had a gun and threatened to shoot officers. Negotiations began as reinforcements responded to the scene.
After several hours, Johnson got down from the stand, appearing ready surrender. But then he retreated back into his stand and started shooting, hitting one deputy in the arm.
The deputies returned fire, killing Johnson, the sheriff’s office said. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy on his body.
The wounded officer was taken to Essentia Medical Center and later released. The sheriff’s office said the officer’s name will be released at a later date.
“Not only is he physically dealing with being shot, but mentally knowing he could have taken that round in several other places than the arm,” Sheriff Todd Dahl said. “Chances are he will be dealing with it for the rest of his career.”
St. Mathias Township is about 120 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
