Man dead in homicide at St. Paul home that has seen frequent police contacts

St. Paul police were investigating a homicide Friday that took the life of a man at a home near Lake Como to which officers have been frequently called.

It was unclear how exactly the man was killed, according to Sgt. Mike Ernster, a department spokesman. He said a “certain level of trauma” indicated a homicide but that officials “do not know exactly what caused his death yet.”

The death makes 14 homicides so far this year in St. Paul.

According to Ernster and a neighbor, Sean Devaney, a woman began running up and down an alley yelling about a man not breathing at around 7:30 a.m. Friday.

The woman was later taken to a police station to be interviewed but was not arrested, Ernster said.

Officers entered the home in the 900 block of Hatch Avenue, found the unconscious victim and encountered an aggressive dog. Ernster said the dog was shot and killed after it bit an officer. EMTs pronounced the man dead at the scene.

“After the gunshot went off, the place lit up with sirens,” Devaney said.

Devaney said the man who lived in the home was in his 30s and often had a partner visit. He said he frequently heard screaming and other disturbances there over the last couple years.

Many neighbors were surprised to hear of the incident Friday, and about a half-dozen attended a police news conference Friday afternoon at the scene. They said the area sees little crime other than an occasional garage break-in.

“The neighborhood is awesome. It’s perfect, it’s quiet,” Devaney said.

Violence Free Minnesota, a coalition of 90 programs aiming to end relationship abuse, tracked 39 homicides across the state in 2023 related to intimate partner and relationship violence. It’s the highest number recorded since the organization began tracking homicides in 1989.

Staff writer Paul Walsh contributed to this story.

St. Paul and Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, for families experiencing violence in St. Paul. 24-hour crisis hotline: 651-645-2824.

Tubman Family Alliance. Crisis line: 612-825-0000

SOS Sexual Violence Services. Free and confidential services for victims of sexual violence, their families and friends. 24-hour crisis line: 651-266-1000.

Minnesota Domestic Violence Crisis Line. 24-hour crisis line: 1-866-223-1111.

Bridges to Safety. A domestic abuse service center in St. Paul serving survivors from Ramsey County: 651-266-9901

Ramsey County Child Protective Services. Contact Child Protection to report incidents of neglect and abuse of children. Business hours: 651-266-4500; after hours: 651-291-6795.