Most people probably can't recall what they were doing at 6:28am on February 1, 1994.  I will never forget that day.

At that time I was assigned as the Agent-In-Charge of the South Metro Drug Task Force.  The task force consisted of a consortium of officers from various Dakota County, Minnesota police agencies. 

During January I had been sending an informant into a rural Farmington, Minnesota farmhouse to buy cocaine from the homeowner.  The homeowner has been recently released from prison and had been present at the scene of a search warrant execution where officers had been fired upon.  Through my investigation I learned that the suspect homeowner slept with a loaded gun, threatened to shoot it out with the cops if confronted, and had said he "would never be taken alive."  In order to keep the gun available it was reported he duct-taped it to his wrist as he slept.

The controlled purchase of drugs made it possible for me to author a search warrant to be executed at the farmhouse.  When the Judge signed the warant he said "Kevin, I hope this isn't going to be another Waco."

Our officers from South Metro usually conducted our own high-risk warrant entries.  Due to the excessive risks posed by this entry we asked the Dakota County Sheriff's SWAT team to make the entry.  Our personnel would cover the perimeter of the property.

February 1, 1994 was the day chosen to execute the warrant.  A Dakota County Sheriff's sergeant and I coordinated the entry from an on-scene command post vehicle.  We had ordered an ambulance with two paramedics to be parked out of sight nearby.  The morning was bitterly cold.  The snow covered ground was actually steaming.  The lights from the officers flashlights as they approached the house reflected the steam as if the beams were saber lights from 'Star Wars.'

Upon completing their stealthy approach to the house the SWAT members hit the farmhouse door with a battering ram and then threw a 'Flash-Bang' genade inside.  The grenade emits a deafening boom and a blinding light when detonated.  Its purpose is to disorient those in the house to allow officers to enter with a greater degree of safety.

When the door swung open it banged against a wall, slammed back closed, and re-locked just after the 'Flash-Bang' was tossed inside.  The concussion of the grenade shattered the door window glass causing slivers of glass to be sprayed onto the entry officers.  Valuable time was lost as the door had to be rammed a second time and another grenade was tossed.

As the entry team eventually entered the back bedroom the suspect was grabbing a revolver.  After he ignored officers commands to drop the gun and pointed it toward the cops a series of gunshots ensued.  More than 20 shots were fired within the 10' by 12' bedroom.

From our position in the command post the sergeant and I heard the staccato gunshots and then a request for an ambulance was broadcast on the police radio by those inside the dwelling.  Pandemonium had broken out on the radio.  With too many officers trying to talk on the radio at once I could not immediately determine who had been shot and if the scene was safe for us to send in the unarmed paramedics.

Eventually we learned the suspect had one fired round and five other bullets in his gun.  Three officers had fired the other 20+ rounds.  Two shots hit and killed the suspect.  No officers were injured.

In spite of my own adrenaline pumping I had to exhibit a calm demeanor to maintain control of the scene.  I needed to ascertain that the officers involved received emotional support and were separated from each other until statements were taken.  I also needed to contact the senior staff members of the police agencies involved, set up a crime scene perimeter to protect the scene, arrange for a "press" area for the reporters who were certain to soon arrive, and contact the BCA Crime Scene Team to respond to investigate the shooting.  Little did I know then that I would later become a supervisory member of that Crime Scene Team.

As in all officer-involved shootings a grand jury was convened to review the incident.  The grand jury dliberated only 22 minutes before clearing all officers and determining the shooting was jusitified.  A subsequent civil lawsuit for "wrongful death" was filed by the suspects surviving family.  The civil jury determined the officers acted appropriately and the family was awarded no money.

A sad postnots to this story is that one of the officers who fired shots in this case was later killed in the line of duty.  I attended way too many funerals for police officers during my career.  I pray all active officers stay safe.