BCA IDs man shot to death by St. Paul police apartment complex while armed with 16-inch knife

Investigators identified the man who was fatally shot by police in his St. Paul apartment complex and said Wednesday he was coming at officers holding a 16-inch knife after threatening others in the building.

Yia Xiong, 65, was shot about 5 p.m. Saturday at the Winslow Commons in the 100 block of S. Western Avenue, according to a search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court. Xiong's identity was also confirmed Wednesday by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office.

The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) searched the apartment building in the West 7th neighborhood that night and recovered a bloody knife from the lounge, near where Xiong was shot by one officer, and numerous spent cartridge casings and bullets elsewhere, the affidavit read. Xiong died at the scene.

The BCA said in a statement Wednesday that Xiong was armed with a 16-inch traditional Hmong knife.

The BCA also identified the St. Paul police officers who confronted Xiong. Abdirahman Dahir fired his department rifle and killed Xiong. Noushue Cha deployed his Taser, the statement said.

Both officers have one year of law enforcement experience, the agency statement continued.

Sgt. Mike Ernster said Thursday that the two officers were not partners that afternoon and were among seven in all who were at the scene during the confrontation. All seven were placed on administrative leave, per department policy, Ernster said.

The BCA statement said Cha and Dahir were wearing body cameras that captured portions of the incident, which are being reviewed as part of the investigation.

According to the affidavit, the BCA's statement and earlier information from police:

Calls came in to police about a man with a knife who was seen in various parts of the complex. One caller told 911 that the man was kicked out of a party in the first-floor community room.

When police arrived, residents directed them to a hallway where Xiong was located holding the knife. Officers told him to drop the knife. Xiong did not respond, instead turning to unlock his apartment door and go inside.

As Xiong entered his apartment and as the door began to close, the officers kicked the door to stop it from fully shutting and ordered him to come out. They then backed away from the door and down the short hallway.

"Xiong opened his door and stepped into the hallway, knife still in-hand," the BCA statement read. "Both officers then fired their respective weapons.".

Resuscitation efforts by Fire Department medics were unsuccessful, and Xiong was pronounced dead at the scene.

More than 220 officer-involved shootings have occurred in Minnesota since 2000, including at least 30 in St. Paul, according to a Star Tribune database.

Before Xiong's death, the most recent incident of law enforcement killing someone in Minnesota occurred on Dec. 14 when 34-year-old Brent A. Alsleben was shot in New Auburn. He allegedly used a knife to fight with officers who were sent to check on his mental welfare.

On Dec. 4, St. Paul police fatally shot a 24-year-old man near Hudson Road and Earl Street. Police have said that Howard Johnson displayed a gun and was attempting to commit a carjacking as police moved in to make an arrest, and he was fatally shot by officers.