x
Breaking News
More () »

Officers identified in deadly shooting of carjacking suspect

The officers include members of the St. Cloud and St. Paul police departments, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified five of the eight officers involved in the fatal shooting of a carjacking suspect in St. Cloud on Sept. 29.

The officers include members of the St. Cloud and St. Paul police departments, along with agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The officers identified are:

  • St. Cloud PD Officer/Investigator Matthew Pribnow (12 years service)
  • St. Cloud PD Officer Alex Elness (18 years service)
  • St. Cloud PD Officer Brice Turner (4.5 years service)
  • St. Cloud PD Officer Tavion Buchanan (3.5 years service)
  • St. Paul PD Officer Lance Christenson (13 years service)

The BCA said an additional St. Paul officer and the two ATF agents who discharged their weapons could not be publicly identified due to their undercover duties.

RELATED: St. Paul shooting and carjacking suspect killed in confrontation with officers in St. Cloud

All eight officers are on administrative leave.

The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office identified Kirby Joseph Michael Hengel, 27, as the man killed.

The BCA said officers from the three agencies were attempting to arrest Hengel in St. Cloud on Sept. 29, one day after he allegedly shot at St. Paul police and carjacked a vehicle in that city.

RELATED: St. Paul police search for suspect who shot at officers on city's East Side

St. Cloud police said officers had surrounded Hengel in his vehicle outside a convenience store on Division Street on Tuesday. The BCA said Hengel got out with a weapon and started firing at law enforcement. The officers returned fire, killing Hengel.

The BCA said it will continue to investigate and present its findings to the Stearns County Attorney's Office for review.

Before You Leave, Check This Out