In a fatal encounter that has shaken Minneapolis, authorities have identified the man killed in a May 30th shoot-out on Blaisdell Avenue as Mustafa Mohamed, 35, who died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office reports. The shootout also claimed the life of Minneapolis police officer Jamal Mitchell and injured another officer and a city firefighter; a bystander remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the officers involved were Nick Kapinos, with 10 years under his belt, and Luke Kittock, who's been on the force for nine years, they are both on leave as per the critical incident policy. Mitchell was the first to respond to a report of a shooting at an apartment and found two men injured, as he approached to offer assistance, Mohamed pulled out a handgun and shot him, causing Mitchell to collapse and prompting additional officers to rush to the chaotic scene where Mohamed began firing at them.
As the confrontation escalated, officers Kapinos and Kittock returned fire, fatally wounding Mohamed while trying to deal with the threat. Despite their efforts at life-saving care, Mohamed died on the street. The BCA has collected a handgun with an extended magazine and numerous cartridge casings at the scene, and footage from body-worn and squad cameras is being reviewed as a part of their investigation.
The BCA is conducting thorough probes into the harrowing events of that day, including the shootings in the apartment building that precipitated the street violence, as the community searches for answers amidst the grief and outrage, all findings will later be turned over to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, however, without any charging recommendations.
