Man shot and killed by St. Paul police is identified

St. Paul police Tuesday identified the man who was shot and killed by police last week in a confrontation on the West Side.

Officials said the man was Guillermo Canas, 36, of St. Paul.

There had been some confusion earlier in the day on Canas' exact name, but officials believed that had been resolved.

Police said that two officers were confronted by Canas in the area of Plato Boulevard and Wabasha Street on the morning of Aug. 28, after authorities had received calls about him damaging vehicles.

He threw rocks at police, they said, and ignored their orders to stop before one of the officers shot him multiple times.

Last week, police identified the officers involved as Mark Grundhauser and Joseph Sandquist. Sandquist fired on the man, police said. The officers, who were not injured during the incident, were put on standard leave.

The officers responded after authorities received a number of 911 calls from residents, some of whom were "absolutely frantic," about a bloodied man who was breaking windows with a pipe and attacking a school bus, Police Chief Tom Smith said last week.

One of the two officers retreated when Canas raised a rock believed to be larger than a baseball as he approached, but when the man went toward the other officer, the second officer fired multiple shots, fatally wounding the man, Smith said.

Last week's incident was the second fatal shooting of a suspect involving St. Paul police in August.

NICOLE NORFLEET