In a tragic incident last weekend in St. Michael, a Wright County deputy shot and killed a suspect after mistaking a metal pipe the suspect was wielding for a knife. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) provided additional details surrounding the incident in a news release on Friday.

The suspect, identified as 67-year-old Jeffrey Chapman of Albertville, was shot and killed by Deputy Austin Feenstra. Prior to the shooting, Feenstra had attempted to pull Chapman over for erratic driving, including weaving, slowing down, and sudden acceleration. After driving for two blocks, Chapman eventually stopped his vehicle and exited, walking towards Feenstra.

Feeling threatened, Feenstra ordered Chapman to stop, but Chapman ignored the command and continued moving towards the deputy. It was at this point that Chapman reached into his waistband and pulled out a metal pipe. Fearing for his safety, Feenstra fired multiple shots at Chapman using his service handgun. Despite efforts to provide aid, Chapman succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

During the incident, one deputy at the scene alerted emergency dispatch, stating, "Shots fired! Shots fired! Knife pulled." However, after providing aid to Chapman, Feenstra realized that the object in question was not a knife, but a 9-inch metal pipe. Crime scene investigators later recovered both the pipe and bullet casings from the scene. Notably, a folding knife found in Chapman's car was determined to be unrelated to the incident.

The BCA's news release revealed that the Wright County Sheriff's Office does not have body cameras, thus there is no available body-worn footage of the incident. However, a squad car camera did capture a portion of what transpired. The case remains under investigation, and once the investigation is complete, the BCA will present its findings to the Wright County Attorney's Office for review.

Deputy Austin Feenstra, who has approximately 10 months of law enforcement experience, has been placed on administrative leave during the ongoing investigation.