BCA identifies man who killed K-9, died in standoff with police in Duluth

Authorities have identified the man who shot and killed a Duluth Police Department K-9 during a marathon standoff before being fatally shot by St. Louis County sheriff’s deputies Friday afternoon.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, 37-year-old David Joseph Wayne Conwell of Duluth died after he was shot multiple times.

Conwell shot Duluth Police Department K-9 Luna on Thursday night. Luna was taken to a local pet hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A procession for Luna on Saturday started at the animal hospital and ended at a cremation business in Scanlon.

Duluth police officers responded to a report of a possible domestic disturbance around 8 p.m Thursday on the 2300 block of West Fourth Street. Conwell shot Luna while officers were searching the home.

The standoff began shortly after when the Duluth Tactical Response Team was dispatched to the scene, according to the BCA.

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team took over after 10 hours. The standoff ended when sheriff’s deputies fatally shot Conwell around 4 p.m. Friday.

The BCA has not identified the deputies who fired their weapons during the incident. Luna was the only member of law enforcement injured during the standoff.

BCA investigators are reviewing body camera footage and interviewing officers involved in the incident to get a full picture of what happened.