Hennepin County attorney releases decision in deadly officer-involved shooting in Minnetonka
This snippet from a bodycam video released by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office shows deputies in a standoff in Minnetonka on April 10, 2024.
Five months after a shooting that left two deputies injured and one man dead, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) has released a decision regarding the incident.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that after reviewing the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) investigation, the office found no evidence of unlawful conduct by law enforcement and no charges will be filed.
As previously reported, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputies arrived at Hoyhtya’s home at 11:13 a.m. to serve an arrest warrant for an unrelated person when they were shot at by Clint Hoyhtya. The deputies retreated to cover, called for backup, armor, a helicopter and a negotiator, as stated in the BCA investigation.
Hoyhtya shot multiple times at the deputies and the vehicles they were taking cover behind, resulting in Deputy Christopher Heihn being shot in the hand. Deputy Keith McNamara was also hit by shrapnel and was treated at the scene.
Officials say that three deputies returned fire and at 11:28 a.m., hit and killed Hoyhtya.
The HCAO found that the deputies initially retreated to find cover, called for a negotiator and tried to tell Hoyhtya to stop shooting. The investigation showed that the deputies used restraint and did not use deadly force until it was necessary.
Deputies fired their weapons only after Hoyhtya fired directly at them, according to the HCAO.
“In our review of the BCA’s investigation, we found no unlawful conduct by law enforcement,” Moriarty said. “This was a terrifying incident that left an HCSO deputy hospitalized with a gunshot wound, endangered the lives of several other deputies and community members, and led to the death of Mr. Hoyhtya. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragedy, including the sheriff’s deputies, their families, impacted neighbors, and Mr. Hoyhtya’s family.”
Two weeks after the incident, the HCSO released nearly 48 minutes of bodycam video capturing the encounter.