St. Paul Officer Who Opened Fire At Unarmed Man Dismissed, Police Chief Says

A six-year veteran of the St. Paul Police department was dismissed recently in connection with the shooting of an unarmed man in Minnesota. Police Chief Todd Axtell made the announcement, visibly upset at the whole incident.

Axtell did not take questions during a press conference, saying that state law prevented him from divulging any information on the action he took. However, it was later learned that the officer who shot the unarmed man was fired from the force, Fox News reported.

The police chief showed footage of the shooting, showing how an officer was trying to talk a man out of a dumpster following a domestic dispute. Four gunshots were heard after the officer was telling the man not to run.

The man was identified as 31-year-old Joseph Javonte Washington of Lakeville. The video also showed him being restrained by a K-9, screaming for the dog to get off of him.

Washington suffered three gunshot wounds to the leg and one in the abdomen, Star Tribune reported. He is now recovering at the hospital. No officers were hurt and no weapons were recovered from the scene.

The officer who fired the shot was identified as Anthony Dean. Axtell spent days reviewing the footage.

"Lives have been altered, a person has been shot, a community is feeling the effects of an officer-involved shooting," Axtell said. “When I ask if the officer’s actions on Saturday night were reasonable and necessary, the only answer I can come up with is no.”

Axtell drew praise from Mayor Melvin Carter for being transparent and releasing the video.

The shooting came in the aftermath of a report that a man was attacking his ex-girlfriend with a knife in a car that crashed. The man fled from the scene and broke into a home.

When officers arrived at the scene, Washington was found hiding in a dumpster. When he climbed out, he ran towards the officers. One of the officers used a Taser while another let loose a K-9 to subdue him. Dean opened fire per authorities.

According to St. Paul Police Federation President Paul Kuntz, the officers worked to arrest the man using many de-escalation techniques.

Washington now faces three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of kidnapping and one count of second-degree assault.