BCA identifies Willmar officer who shot knife-wielding suspect

State investigators have released the names of a Willmar police officer and the knife-wielding suspect he shot and injured on Sunday morning.

Willmar Police Officer Michael Holme shot 33-year-old Jerry Jones several times after Jones allegedly charged at Holme with a utility knife and slashed him when the officer fell backward to the ground, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said in a news release Friday.

Holme, who has 17 years of law enforcement experience, suffered minor injuries from the encounter. Jones, meanwhile, is in the hospital in stable condition, the BCA said. He has yet to be charged with a crime.

Police first responded to the 300 block of Fourth Street Southeast after a person called 911 to report that someone had threatened him with a knife. While officers were interviewing the victim, Jones approached while holding the knife. The BCA said Holme ordered Jones to drop the weapon, but he ignored the officer’s commands.

Authorities said Jones ran off after the clash but was arrested two blocks away.

The BCA confirmed Holme’s body camera recorded the incident. The agency continues to investigate the incident and will present its findings to the Kandiyohi County Attorney’s Office for review.