MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The suspects found deceased after a Douglas County officer-involved shooting Monday have been identified and authorities now believe it to be a murder-suicide.
Just before 9:20 p.m., a Douglas County deputy responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the driveway of a home on 50th Avenue Southeast in Hudson Township, the county sheriff’s office said.
When the deputy arrived at the scene, he found two people inside a four-door sedan. The deputy made contact with the people, and one of them fired at the deputy, hitting him in the chest, which was protected by a bullet-resistant vest. The deputy returned fire, possibility hitting the suspects, who then drove off down the driveway.
Almost immediately, the sedan got stuck in the snow after going off road, officials said. The suspects then fled on foot into the woods and continued to fire at the deputy. After that, an extensive search for the suspects began.
After four hours of searching, a State Patrol helicopter with infrared imaging found the suspects in deep snow near an outbuilding about 200 yards from the sedan. Officers then approached the suspects, finding both of them dead, with guns near their bodies.
On Wednesday, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner identified the deceased suspects as Devin Blowers, 24, and Katie Ray Christopherson, 29. Their last known permanent addresses is Fargo, N.D.
Now, investigators believe Blowers shot Christopherson.
The deputy, identified as Deputy Dustin Alexander, was treated at Douglas County Hospital, released and is now on standard administrative leave. Alexander has been with the Sheriff’s Office for three years and is a member of the Douglas County SWAT team.
The case remains under investigation.
