Man who officers shot in Forest Lake standoff dies in hospital

The man shot by a trio of law enforcement officers during a standoff Sunday in Forest Lake has died, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

Bradley George Erickson, 47, of Forest Lake, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday, DPS said.

On Sunday, Erickson was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center after a standoff, pursuit and subsequent shooting after police responded to a 911 call reporting that he’d violated an order for protection.

The caller said Erickson had come to her home armed with a gun and threatened any responding officers, Capt. Greg Weiss of the Forest Lake Police Department said Sunday.

Police found Erickson, attempted a traffic stop and a PIT maneuver when he fled, and ultimately "shots were fired," Weiss said.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting. The three law enforcement officers who fired their weapons during the encounter are all on standard administrative leave: 16-year law enforcement veteran Forest Lake Police Officer Jonathan Glader; Forest Lake Police Officer Matthew Smith who has been in law enforcement for 17 years; and Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Greg Reiter, who has served for 26 years.

"Portions of the incident" were documented on squad and body-worn cameras, according to DPS.

According to a warrant, officers found armed Erickson violating the order for protection on the 8000 block of 224th Street North. Erickson led officers in a "short" pursuit. After officers performed a PIT maneuver, Erickson’s Ford Super Duty went off the road in the 7000 block of North Shore Trail. "At some point shots were fired, it is still under investigation as to who fired which weapons," the warrant filed Monday states.

Erickson accelerated, crossed the road and crashed into a wooded area nearby. Erickson had been injured by the gunfire. Officers removed him from the truck following the crash and provided medical aid until he was airlifted to HCMC.

The BCA recovered more than 20 cartridge casings from the road, a warrant shows, and an AR platform-type rifle near the Ford’s passenger door.

The application for an order of protection, filed in October 2020, includes the following statement from the petitioner: "If [Erickson] doesn’t have me no one will. He has said it many times to me. And with how many guns he has and how angry he gets I don’t know what he is capable of. I’m also worried about what my 11-year-old son who has to witness this."