Officer Involved Shooting Death of Rochester Man Ruled Justified
Hastings, MN (KROC-AM News) - Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom has concluded that a Hastings Police Officer was justified when he shot and killed a Rochester man with a history of mental health issues. A statement released today by the Dakota County Attorney's Office indicates an investigation determined officer Geoffrey Latsch had reason to believe he was facing the risk of death or great bodily harm when 23-year-old Keagan Johnson-Lloyd charged at him with what appeared to be a knife and yelling "shoot me!" on the evening of October 1st.
Officer Latsch was involved in the search for Johnson-Lloyd in connection with a stabbing that occurred at a sober living facility in Hastings earlier in the day when Hastings police received a report that he had been spotted in the street near a Hastings church. Latsch and another officer were the first to arrive at the scene, which led to the deadly confrontation.
Johnson-Lloyd had an encounter with Rochester Police in March when he was arrested for allegedly attacking a 61-year-old family member with a hammer. He had also spent time in prison for a violent incident at a Twin Cities hospital in 2015 during which attacked the staff by squirting blood at them.
Following his death, the young man's mother reported that he had struggled with mental illness and addiction problems for much of his life.