ST. PAUL — The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the man who died during a July 11 use-of-force incident in St. Paul. According to the medical examiner, the man has been identified as Tevin Marcel Bellaphant, 32, of St. Paul.  

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified the St. Paul police officers who used force during this incident. All officers were placed on critical incident leave by the St. Paul Police Department. 

• Officer Christopher Leon fired his department-issued firearm. Leon has five years of law enforcement experience.
• Officer Melissa Leistikow fired her department-issued firearm. Leistikow has 10 years of law enforcement experience.
• Sergeant Megan Kosloske fired her department-issued firearm. Kosloske has 10 years of law enforcement experience. 

According to the BCA’s preliminary investigation, St. Paul officers were dispatched just after 11:30 a.m. on July 11 to an assault call on the 1500 block of Jessamine Lane where a male was reported to have assaulted a female relative and fired a gun in the home before taking a 4-year-old child without permission and leaving the residence.

St. Paul officers received information that the male, later identified as Bellaphant, was possibly seen nearby at the Aldi grocery store on the 1100 block of Clarence Street. Sgt. Kosloske and Officer Leistikow were checking the store when they observed Bellaphant walking in an aisle with the child. They both approached him and were starting to speak with him when he shoved Officer Leistikow and ran past her toward the front of the store, leaving the child behind in the aisle. 

Officer Leistikow and Sgt. Kosloske were chasing after Bellaphant when he suddenly fell to the ground near the register area of the store. While getting back to his feet, he pulled out a handgun and fired toward the officers. An exchange of gunfire took place between Bellaphant and both Officer Leistikow and Sgt. Kosloske. During this exchange, Bellaphant ran out of the store.  

Officer Leon was outside of the store in his squad when Bellaphant exited. Bellaphant fired at Officer Leon and an exchange of gunfire occurred between Bellaphant and Officer Leon while Bellaphant continued running across Clarence Street.

Bellaphant ran to a restaurant nearby, Destiny Café 2, and attempted to get inside. People had heard shots fired and were attempting to close the doors as Bellaphant tried to get inside.  He got his arm and gun inside the doors and fired the handgun at them. Those shots injured an adult male and adult female. Bellaphant then ran from the café toward Cub Foods as Officer Leon emerged from around the building.  

Officer Leon fired additional shots as he pursued Bellaphant toward Cub Foods. Bellaphant entered Cub Foods and was located by officers near the front area of the store. Officers evacuated people from the store and began to negotiate with Bellaphant, who was expressing thoughts of suicide. Bellaphant shot himself while officers were speaking with him. Officers rendered medical aid, but Bellaphant was pronounced deceased. 

BCA crime scene personnel recovered a handgun and spent cartridge casings. Officers were wearing body cameras that were activated. BCA agents will be reviewing this video as part of the ongoing investigation.

The St. Paul Police Department requested the BCA to investigate. This investigation is ongoing. When complete, the BCA will present its findings without recommendation to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office for review.