The man shot by a St. Paul cop during a dramatic encounter earlier this month has been identified by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), as the officer who pulled the trigger. Brett Kohl Fraser, 31, was shot once on Jan. 6th when St. Paul police responded to a domestic incident. The officer involved, identified as Josh Needham, a veteran with 11 years on the force, fired his weapon during the episode and is currently on leave, which is typical in these scenarios.
In a statement released by the BCA, the agency detailed that the turmoil unfolded just after midnight when the police were called to an apartment on the 400 block of Thomas Avenue. A man, now known to be Fraser, was reported to be assaulting a woman both physically and sexually, and allegedly armed with a handgun. Responding officers' intervention led to the woman escaping the apartment unharmed, and shortly after Fraser, striking him in the arm after running into a cramped hallway where they were positioned.
The BCA reports that the officers immediately provided medical assistance to Fraser before he was transported to and later released from a local hospital. Fraser is now in custody. Adding to the night's complexity, a replica handgun was discovered in a backpack within the apartment, leaving questions about its ownership. BCA agents are reviewing body camera footage from the officers as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident.
The local community and authorities await the BCA's final report. Once the BCA wraps its analysis of the incident, they plan to hand over their findings to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office for review – without suggesting whether any charges should be brought against Officer Needham. The investigation's current trajectory seems to hinge largely on the body cam footage and the material evidence of the replica firearm, which the story behind remains blurry. The results of the investigation promise to add another chapter to the continuing national narrative concerning police use of force.
