Investigators: Man shot by police came at them with knife

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - State investigators said Friday that a man who was shot by Minneapolis officers in a police interrogation room had ignored commands to drop a knife that he was using to harm himself and was coming toward officers with the weapon.

Marcus Fischer, 18, of Minneapolis, was shot Monday after he began harming himself with a large folding knife that he brought into the interrogation room by hiding it in his waistband, investigators said. He was at the Police Department, which is inside City Hall, for questioning about a shooting and investigators had just left the room to get him some water.

According to details released Friday by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, an officer returned to the room to find Fischer “severely injuring himself” with the knife. The officer shouted for help and “for several minutes, several officers then attempted to convince Fischer to drop his knife and stop hurting himself,” the BCA said.

When he ignored commands, Officer David Martinson used a stun gun on Fischer but it was ineffective. The BCA said Fischer continued to ignore commands and walked toward the officers with the knife. At that point, Sgt. Gene Suker and Officer Jerome Carey shot Fischer.

The incident was recorded by several surveillance and body cameras, the BCA said. The video has not yet been made public and the investigation is ongoing.

Fischer was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he remained in police custody Friday.

Earlier this week, Fischer was charged with assault and aggravated robbery in connection with the shooting that he was being questioned about. Prosecutors say that during a purported gun sale on Dec. 13, Fischer was examining a handgun when he pulled out another gun and shot the seller. Prosecutors say Fischer denied shooting the victim but admitted that he helped facilitate the meeting and helped with the robbery.

Online records don’t list an attorney for Fischer to comment on his behalf.

None of the officers involved in Monday’s shooting were hurt. Suker has been with the Minneapolis Police Department for 20 years, Carey for one and Martinson for eight. All three were placed on standard administrative leave.

The BCA said it will give the case to prosecutors once its investigation is complete. The Washington County Attorney’s Office will review the case instead of Hennepin County prosecutors.