BCA: Mahnomen County deputy shot woman after pursuit, investigation ongoing

By KSTP

Authorities have released the name of the sheriff’s deputy who shot a woman following a pursuit Sunday in Mahnomen County.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Tuesday that Dakota Czerny, who’s been with the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office for a year, is on standard administrative leave.

According to the BCA, a deputy tried to stop a speeding vehicle on eastbound Highway 200 at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. When the vehicle fled, the deputy pursued. At one point, the deputy’s squad slid into a ditch and Deputy Czerny picked up the pursuit.

Eventually, Czerny was able to use a PIT maneuver to stop the fleeing vehicle near County Road 4 and Church Street in the village of Naytahwaush.

When the vehicle came to a stop, two of the six occupants ran away. The BCA says Czerny tried to detain the remaining four occupants but one of them — a 20-year-old woman — had a gun. The BCA didn’t provide any details about what happened at that point but, eventually, Czerny fired a shot that struck the woman.

Czerny provided aid to her until she was taken to a hospital, the BCA says, and no other injuries were reported. Authorities have not said what condition the woman is in but she remained in a hospital as of Tuesday afternoon.

The BCA also said one of the two people who ran away was found and interviewed but the other is still missing. Anyone who can identify that missing person is asked to call the BCA at 761-793-7000.

The department also said the incident was caught on dash camera and body camera, which investigators are reviewing. Once the investigation is complete, the BCA will provide its findings to the Mahnomen County Attorney’s Office for review and potential charges.