Video of North Branch police officers’ fatal encounter with a woman they shot moments after she allegedly pointed an object at them shows they fired after she failed to respond to multiple orders to drop her weapon, then waited several minutes to come to her aid afterward.
Video shows North Branch officers shot woman after repeated orders to drop weapon, then waited to render aid
Jamie Crabtree’s husband said his wife had mentioned “suicide by cop” before leaving the home.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 12, 2024 at 2:36PM
Jamie Ann Crabtree, 36, died June 27 after officers shot her multiple times. Police Chief Dan Meyer said officers helped Crabtree until she died at the scene. According to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, officers Kyle Miller and Duane Southworth shot Crabtree. Miller used PepperBall rounds while Southworth fired his department rifle. Both were put on standard administrative leave as the BCA investigates.
The incident began about 9:20 p.m. when officers responded to a field near 3rd Avenue and Elm Street on a report of a woman who was suicidal, intoxicated and armed with a handgun. Crabtree’s husband, Nicholas Williams, said he called 911 after Crabtree left their home with a bottle of alcohol and a handgun in a case. Williams said she had been drinking heavily and mentioned “suicide by cop” before leaving.
Body camera footage shows Crabtree sitting on the ground when Miller and Southworth arrived and commanded her to drop the gun.
“Put the gun down!” the officers yelled before Crabtree could be heard yelling back: “I don’t want to live.”
Miller shouted “PepperBall” before several shots were heard firing from his weapon. A BCA statement said Crabtree appeared to point an object at officers, prompting Southworth to shoot her with his rifle.
The BCA says squad car camera video appears to show Crabtree pointing an object at officers, but North Branch police did not release that footage. Southworth’s body camera shows Crabtree seated in grass moments before he opened fire.
“We want to help; show us your hands!” Southworth yelled afterward.
“I’m here,” a voice appearing to come from Crabtree said as she lifted her hand. “I can’t breathe.”
After the shooting, about 14 minutes passed before officers rendered aid. During that time, she did not respond to repeated commands to put her hands up or roll away from the weapon.
Williams said officers waited too long to help Crabtree. Footage shows that at one point, Williams approached the scene, repeatedly asking officers, “You shot her?” before they ordered him away.
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The BCA is still investigating. Agents plan to present their findings to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review after completing their review.
Since 2000, police in Minnesota have killed at least 240 people — including nine this year and 11 in the past 11 months, according to a Star Tribune database.
Star Tribune staff writers Paul Walsh and Tim Harlow contributed to this report.
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