Wright County deputies fatally shoot man who fled after threatening to harm family

What started as a mental health call over the weekend in a northwest Twin Cities suburb turned into a deadly encounter.

Twenty-one-year-old Jordyn Hansen moved in with relatives in Otsego a few months after undergoing mental health treatment, his family says.

“My brother is a very loving kid — he loved BMX, loved bikes — he cared about everyone but he was going through a lot of things that he was seeking help for,” Justine Hansen, Jordyn’s sister, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Early Sunday morning, Hansen’s family called 911 – they felt he was having a mental health episode. When deputies with the Wright County Sheriff’s Office arrived, Hansen agreed to go to the hospital for an evaluation.

But shortly after, the sheriff’s office says Hansen grabbed a knife from the kitchen and ran into the neighborhood. When deputies found him, investigators say Hansen threatened deputies with the knife – and after a failed Taser attempt, deputies shot Hansen, according to the sheriff’s office.  

“I don’t have words to express how we feel right now, there’s nothing that’s going to bring my brother back,” Justine said.

“I don’t understand why the police — knowing the situation — why he was able to go into the kitchen and get a knife,” Justine added. “Why … why wasn’t the situation handled different?”

Justine says the family is trying to process how the mental health call turned deadly. “When police arrived, he was unarmed — he was unarmed in his room — they knew he had mental health problems, they knew the threat, why did it lead to where it led to?” she asked.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS also spoke with the Barbara Schneider Foundation about this shooting death – one of the foundation’s main focuses is preventing mental health crises through training and education.

“We need a stronger system that works better,” Mark Anderson, executive director with the Barbara Schneider Foundation, said.

Anderson that system goes further than law enforcement training – from lawmakers to community members, he said anyone can make a difference.

“It’s about collaboration,” Anderson added. “How do we all work together?”

A GoFundMe has been started to help Hansen’s family pay for funeral expenses.