Police Say Minnesota Officer Meant To Draw Taser, Not Handgun In Shooting On Sunday

Men jump on the hood of a police car after a family said a man was shot and killed by law enforcement on Sunday, April 11, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minn. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa)

The police officer who fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb apparently intended to fire a Taser, not a handgun, the city’s police chief said Monday.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon described the shooting as “an accidental discharge.” The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was investigating.

“Taser! Taser! Taser!” the officer is heard shouting on her body cam footage released at a news conference. After firing a single shot from her handgun, the car speeds away and the officer is heard saying, “Holy (expletive)! I shot him.”