Man killed by law enforcement in St. Croix County was Minnesota corrections officer

By KSTP

A man shot and killed by law enforcement during an armed standoff Saturday night in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, was an officer with the Minnesota Department of Corrections, according to a news release from state officials.

Tyler Abel, 42, of New Richmond, Wisconsin, was hired by the Minnesota Department of Corrections in April 2022. A statement from DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said his death is both “tragic and troubling.”

The DOC news release states that Abel worked in manufacturing for about 20 years before changing careers. It also states Abel “was well-liked and highly regarded by many staff” while working at the Stillwater prison.

Around 10:46 p.m., dispatchers received a call reporting a domestic disturbance at a home in the 1900 block of County Trunk Highway CC in Star Prairie Township, the St. Croix County sheriff’s office said in a news release. The caller said that her husband was “out of control” and threatening to “bring his AR out”.

St. Croix County deputies and New Richmond police officers arrived and found the caller outside the home. Officers were told that two kids and the caller’s husband were inside the home, the sheriff’s office said.

Law enforcement saw the man through a window and tried to talk to him as he was holding a hunting rifle. The man threatened the authorities and then left the home with a gun to confront the officers, the news release stated.

A St. Croix County deputy and New Richmond officer fired their weapons, killing Abel at the scene.

Nobody else was injured in the incident.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office will investigate this case and then turn it over to the St. Croix District Attorney’s Office for review.

The deputy and officer involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and review.