BCA identifies deputy, man he cut with knife during scuffle in Morrison County

Josh Skluzacek KSTP

A man and deputy involved in a scuffle in Morrison County over the weekend have now been publicly identified.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said 33-year-old John Michael Gans remained hospitalized Wednesday in stable condition as he recovers from wounds from a knife.

Those wounds were caused by Deputy Axel Lange, a six-year law enforcement veteran, who is now on critical leave. He didn’t report any injuries.

RELATED: 1 seriously injured during use-of-force incident in Morrison County, BCA investigating

According to the BCA, Lange pulled Gans over at around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday for speeding and suspected driving while intoxicated. After conducting field sobriety tests, Lange tried to arrest Gans but Gans resisted and a struggle ensued.

During the five-minute struggle, the BCA says Gans tried to take Lange’s gun and Lange used a knife to stop Gans.

The BCA says part of the incident was caught by Lange’s bodycam and squad camera.

The incident remains under investigation. Once finished, the BCA will send its findings to the Morrison County Attorney’s Office for charging consideration.