The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has released details of a use-of-force incident that occurred on May 31 in South St. Paul. During a disturbance call at an apartment complex, an officer discharged his firearm, no injuries were reported during the encounter.
Officer Dylan Naffzinger, who has been in law enforcement for one-and-a-half years, fired his gun when confronted by a man wielding what appeared to be a weapon. The situation unfolded after officers responded to the complex, a man identified as 54-year-old Demetrious Royal, pointed what seemed to be a gun at them. Naffzinger discharged one round, which did not hit Royal, and the man was later discovered to be holding a laser pointer that could be attached to a gun, not a live firearm.
Royal complied with the officers' commands to get on the ground and surrendered the device. He was taken into custody and is now facing a charge of threats of violence with a replica or BB gun, according to the official BCA news release. Investigations confirmed that neither Royal nor a woman present at the scene were related to the initial 911 call that prompted the officer's response.
Additionally, a Black Ops .177 caliber Co2 powered pellet handgun was found inside the garage by BCA personnel. The incident, captured by the officers' body cameras, is under close examination as part of the BCA investigation. Once concluded, findings will be presented to the Dakota County Attorney's Office by the BCA, though without a recommendation on whether to charge.
The investigation into this non-fatal incident sheds light on the fine lines law enforcement must navigate when discerning threat from bluster in high-pressure scenarios. With the increasing complexity of such situations, and the technologies at play, clarity often comes only in hindsight. The BCA's ongoing investigation aims to provide that clarity and ensure transparency in this case from South St. Paul.
