St. Louis County Sheriff's Deputies Fatally Shoot Driver During Duluth Traffic Stop

A man was shot and killed by St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office deputies Tuesday night following a traffic stop in Duluth, the sheriff’s office said. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is handling the use-of-force investigation, and officials have not released the names of the driver or the deputies involved.

The incident began at approximately 9:40 p.m. when a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for reckless driving near Grand Avenue and 59th Avenue West. The vehicle fled and was stopped a short time later in the 7900 block of Grand Avenue, where shots were fired by two deputies and the driver, the only occupant, was struck. Deputies performed lifesaving efforts but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. No deputies were injured.

Investigators recovered a handgun in the driver’s seat area of the vehicle, though it was not immediately clear whether the weapon had been brandished or fired during the encounter. The sheriff’s initial post did not indicate whether the deputies were wearing body cameras at the time, and the BCA will oversee forensic and procedural review.

Neighbors and passing motorists reported hearing gunfire. Local reporters observed a significant law enforcement response that closed a lengthy portion of Grand Avenue; Northern News Now noted Grand Avenue was closed from 72nd Avenue to River West Drive and that drivers were unable to access nearby Norton Park while officers worked the scene. Video captured by a resident named Kyle Langlee was reported to show officers surrounding an SUV and one officer appearing to break a window as crime tape enclosed the scene.

Officials have not yet tied this encounter to questions about motive or prior crimes. Investigators are not ruling out a connection to a separate fatal shooting earlier Tuesday in Duluth on the 400 block of Piedmont Avenue, where a man identified as 33-year-old Darius Handy was found dead. Authorities said they believed the suspect and that earlier victim knew each other and that there was no active threat to the public, but they have released no conclusive link between the two incidents.

For Duluth and St. Louis County residents, the episode raises immediate concerns about public safety, traffic access on a busy corridor, and transparency in officer-involved shootings. The BCA investigation will determine whether department policy and state law were followed. Local officials have indicated more information, including the names of the involved parties and any body camera or ballistic findings, will be released after the preliminary investigation.

What comes next for neighbors and commuters is more details from investigators and possible continued street closures as evidence is processed. Expect official updates from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the BCA in the coming days as authorities work to answer outstanding questions and the community looks for clarity.