In a tragic turn of events, the St. Paul Police Department has released body camera footage showing a fatal police-involved shooting in the city's East Side. The incident occurred on May 6, 2024, when officers responded to a distressing report of a suicide in progress on the 1100 block of Rose Avenue East.

The harrowing video, which spans approximately four minutes, reveals officers swiftly entering the residence and encountering two women. Distressed, one of the women informs the officers that the other woman "is not OK." Just moments later, as tensions escalate, the second woman abruptly rises from her seat, brandishing a gun and swinging it towards the officers. In a desperate attempt to deescalate the situation, the officers and the first woman plead for her to stop, but their pleas go unanswered. Fearing for their lives, the officers open fire, striking the second woman.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has since identified the woman who lost her life as 41-year-old Pepsi Lee Heinl. The officers involved in the incident have been named as Chiking Chazonkhueze, Chee Lao, and Yengkong Lor. Chazonkhueze possesses three-and-a-half years of law enforcement experience, while Lor has three years, and Lao has three months.

Despite immediate efforts to provide aid, Heinl tragically succumbed to her injuries at the scene. All three officers discharged their weapons and have been placed on critical incident leave, as confirmed by the BCA. St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry expressed his sorrow, stating, "These are never easy events. This is not an outcome that anybody wanted, but we are committed to staying true and being patient while the BCA investigates this and making sure that process goes on unfettered."

Henry also emphasized the rapid escalation of the situation and called for a deeper examination of how individuals in crisis are handled. He highlighted that one moment, an officer was offering assistance to Heinl, but in a tragic twist, she stood up with a gun and was subsequently shot.

The BCA continues to review the body camera footage capturing the incident and will provide the relevant information to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office. Ultimately, it will be up to the attorney's office to determine if formal charges should be filed. A firearm was recovered from the scene, further indicating the gravity of the situation.

Chief Henry highlighted the St. Paul Police Department's community outreach and stabilization team, which responds to various crisis and non-criminal calls. However, due to limited resources, the department relies on training all officers to handle such situations. The outreach team typically conducts follow-up work after initial police responses.

Viewer discretion is advised when watching the video, as its content may be distressing. This news story is still developing, and further updates can be found on 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on-air and online.