St. Paul officer who fatally shot knife-wielding man justified in use of force, attorney's office says

The St. Paul Police officers involved in a fatal shooting in September will not be criminally charged, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office said Thursday.

On Sept. 15, 2019, Ronald Davis was fatally shot by officer Steven Mattson. Video from Mattson's body camera that was previously released showed Davis with what appeared to be a knife in his hand. In the video, officers can be heard yelling at Davis to "put down the weapon" before shots are fired.

St. Paul police release body camera video of fatal officer-involved shooting

The attorney's office said it concluded from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's (BCA) report that Mattson's use of force was legally justified under state law.

In an effort to help the public better understand the facts and circumstances of this incident, the attorney's office included a copy of the Feb. 1, 2020, memorandum submitted to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi by his staff attorneys, who reviewed all of the evidence gathered and presented by the BCA, as well as a memo from Choi agreeing with the recommendation.