ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified the police officers who discharged their weapons during an officer involved shooting incident on February 7, 2018, in Maple Grove. All are on standard administrative leave.
- Officer Jeff Albers, who has been with the Maple Grove Police Department for 20 years, discharged his firearm.
- Officer David Anton, who has been with the department for 27 years, discharged his and Officer Albers’ Tasers.
- Officer Darren Struckmann, who has been with the department for 10 years, discharged his Taser.
DeWayne Franklin Burlingham, 50, of 9680 Trenton Lane North in Maple Grove was injured during the incident. He remains at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale and is receiving treatment for gunshot and self-inflected knife wounds.
Officers Albers and Anton responded to Burlingham’s home shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday following a 911 hang up call and repeated unsuccessful attempts by law enforcement to call Burlingham back and speak with him by phone.
According to the BCA’s preliminary investigation, shortly after officers were invited into the home, Burlingham began injuring himself with a knife, shouting, “shoot me” at the officers. Officer Anton fired his and Officer Albers’ Tasers, but they were ineffective and Burlingham came toward the officers with the knife. Officer Albers discharged his firearm, striking Burlingham.
Burlingham returned to his feet with the knife and began injuring himself. The officers tried to convince him to put down the knife but Burlingham did not follow officers repeated commands.
Additional officers arrived from the Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park and Osseo police departments and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. Officer Struckmann fired his Taser; Burlingham fell backward and the knife came out of his hand. Officers immediately handcuffed Burlingham and began medical treatment. Burlingham was taken by ambulance to the hospital. No officers were hurt during the incident.
A Taser camera captured portions of the incident, but not the shooting itself. No officers were wearing body cameras and there is no dash camera video of the incident.
The BCA is investigating the incident at the request of the Maple Grove Police Department. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance at the scene.
The investigation is active and ongoing. When its investigation is complete, the BCA will turn its findings over to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review.
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