>>Two sheriff’s deputies wounded, one seriously, in exchange of gunfire in west metro suburb
(Minnetonka, MN) — Two Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies were injured — one seriously — and a 28-year-old man is dead after an exchange of gunfire late this morning (Wed) while officers were serving a warrant in (the west metro suburb of) Minnetonka. Officials say the deputy who’s seriously hurt does not have life-threatening injuries. Law enforcement leaders are providing few details of what led up to the gunfight, but Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said the person fired at deputies and they returned fire. The Star Tribune reports the man’s father, who owns the home when the incident occurred, says it was “suicide by cop.”
Governor Tim Walz says the incident “on the horrific heels of what happened in Burnsville” makes it “crystal clear” that state leaders must continue putting money into public safety so that law enforcement can “continue to do what they need to do.” Walz lawmakers also must continue the conversation about gun violence prevention.
>>Jury deliberating in Apple River stabbing case
(Hudson, WI) — The case is now with the jury in the trial of 54-year-old Nicolae Miu of Prior Lake, accused of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old boy from Stillwater and wounding four others during an altercation in summer 2022 on the Apple River in western Wisconsin. Chief prosecutor (Saint Croix County District Attorney) Karl Anderson called it “absolutely senseless and horrific acts of violence — and all Nicolae Miu had to do was walk away”. Anderson said, “I’m not gonna defend the actions of the boys who testified. It was cruel, what they were calling Nicolae. They shouldn’t have been mocking him, calling him ‘predator”, ‘raper.’ But their conduct did not justify what Nicolae did.” Defense attorney Corey Chirafisi told the jury it was 13 against one, and when Miu tried to create some space between himself and Madison Coen, “They pounce. They punch him. They push him. They slap him. They hit him again. They choke him, from all directions. And Nick Miu acts in self-defense.” Chirafisi told jurors the defense does not have to prove that Miu acted in self-defense — but rather the *prosecution* must prove that he *didn’t*.
>Twins Beat Dodgers in Series Finale at Target Field
(Minneapolis, MN) — The Minnesota Twins topped the L-A Dodgers 3-2 this afternoon (Wed) to salvage the series finale at Target Field. Eddy Julien hit two home runs and Carlos Correa added a pair of hits in Minnesota’s first home win of the season. Veteran reliever Steven Okert pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first career save. The Twins play the Tigers Thursday afternoon in Detroit.
>>One Injured in School Bus Crash in central MN
(Buckman, MN) — A 10-year-old girl suffered minor injuries after the school bus she was on crashed Tuesday afternoon, about 10 miles southeast of Buckman in central Minnesota. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office says a bus driven by 22-year-old Christopher Olson of Waite Park went off the road into a ditch and struck a drainage culvert. The girl from Hillman was brought to the hospital by family members for evaluation. Olson was driving the bus for the Foley School District when the crash happened.
>>MN family applauds new EPA water standards to limit exposure to “forever chemicals”
A Minnesota family applauds the Environmental Protection Agency for announcing new water standards today (Wed) to limit exposure to a class of chemicals called PFAS (PEE-fass) (Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl). Nora Strande, who lost her sister to a rare form of liver cancer says, “When my sister realized how dangerous these chemicals were and the likelihood of them being the cause of her cancer, she decided to testify for the ban of them in products within our state. In the last months of her life, she advocated for what is now known as Amara’s Law. Amara’s Law is the toughest law in the world that restricts the use of ‘forever chemicals’.” This is the first time the EPA has set enforceable limits on PFAS in drinking water.
