Under Minnesota law, deadly force is justified if a “reasonable officer” would believe it necessary to prevent death or serious harm.
Federal standards mirror this, and prosecutors must prove not just a bad decision, but that the officer knowingly acted with reckless disregard for human life.
In this case, officials quickly framed the shooting as part of the officer’s job, invoking “absolute immunity” and
signaling that neither criminal charges nor civil claims were likely to succeed.
