BCA identifies suspect, Wright Co. deputy in fatal St. Michael shooting

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has released the identity of a man shot and killed in a use-of-force incident in St. Michael on Saturday.

According to a news release, 67-year-old Jeffrey Chapman of Albertville died of multiple gunshot wounds.

The BCA says Deputy Austin Feenstra with the Wright County Sheriff’s Office was the law enforcement official who shot Chapman. He has around 10 months of law enforcement experience and is on standard administrative leave, the news release notes.

As previously reported, BCA officials were called in to investigate a use-of-force incident after a Wright County deputy shot and killed a man during a traffic stop Saturday morning.

The shooting occurred near a cul-de-sac next to a playground in a residential area of Ivory Avenue Northeast near the City of St. Michael.

The BCA says a preliminary investigation shows Feenstra attempted a traffic stop with Chapman at around 4:45 a.m. for erratic driving. Officials say Chapman drove about two blocks, then stopped, exited his vehicle and began approaching Feenstra.

Chapman continued to approach Feenstra despite verbal commands, and Feenstra kept backing up. The news release says Chapman then pulled out a pipe from his waistband, at which point Feenstra discharged his gun.

Despite life-saving efforts, Chapman died at the scene.

The BCA says they recovered a 9-inch metal pipe and cartridge casings at the scene of the shooting. The agency noted that Feenstra initially said over a radio call he thought Chapman had a knife, but noticed while providing medical aid it was a pipe.

The BCA noted that the Wright County Sheriff’s Office does not have body cameras, so there is no body-worn camera video that captured the shooting. A squad car camera did capture the incident, and officials say they are reviewing that video as part of the ongoing investigation.