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St. Paul police release video of officer-involved shooting after actions deemed justified

Posted at 8:45 AM, Sep 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-25 11:47:06-04

Police in St. Paul, Minnesota, have released bodycam video of an officer fatally shooting a man moments after the officer's squad car was rear-ended.

Officer Steve Mattson shot 31-year-old Ronald Davis on Sept. 15 in the city's Midway neighborhood.

The video released Tuesday shows Mattson's vehicle lurch, apparently struck from behind. As he gets out, the camera shows Davis running into view.

Mattson shouts, "Whoa! Whoa!" and "Get away from me! Drop the knife!"

Freeze-frames show Davis holding a flashlight in his left hand and another object in his right. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has said Davis was holding a knife when he was shot.

Chief Todd Axtell says Mattson "had no choice but to defend himself against an immediate and violent attack."

BCA is investigating the shooting.