​ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified the officer who fired his weapon during an incident that occurred on March 18 on the pedestrian bridge over I-494 at 2nd Ave. S. between Richfield and Bloomington. Bloomington Police Department Officer Michael Perron has been in law enforcement for 17 years. He is on standard administrative leave.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office earlier today identified the man who died during the incident as Anton Lamont Burnes, 40, of St. Paul. The medical examiner said Burnes died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The BCA will determine whether non-life threatening leg injuries were due to gunfire from Officer Perron or Mr. Burnes.

Law enforcement personnel from the Richfield, Bloomington and Edina police departments and the Minnesota State Patrol responded to the area at approximately 6:15 p.m. following a 911 call to Richfield Police Department of a man with a gun on the pedestrian bridge.

According to the BCA's preliminary investigation, law enforcement located Burnes on the northwest side of the bridge. Several times during the encounter Burnes fired his weapon in different directions toward officers, buildings and traffic, while climbing up and down barrier fencing on the bridge. At one point, Officer Perron fired his weapon toward Burnes from the stairs on the Bloomington side of the bridge. For the next 10-15 minutes, Burnes continued to fire his weapon, at one point climbing over the west barrier fence. Burnes then shot himself, at which point he fell down to westbound lane I-494. He was deceased at the scene.

BCA crime scene personnel recovered a handgun from near Burnes' body.

BCA investigators have not located any other persons or vehicles struck by gunfire during the incident.

Portions of the incident were captured on squad cameras, Richfield and Bloomington police body cameras and on Minnesota Dept. of Transportation ​traffic cameras.

The BCA's investigation of the incident is ongoing. When the investigation is complete, the BCA will turn its findings over without recommendation to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for review.

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