A suspect was fatally shot and a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension special agent was injured during a drug task force operation Tuesday, the Department of Public Safety said.
The BCA agent was struck by the suspect’s vehicle during an undercover operation in Dodge Center, the department said in a news release Tuesday night. An Owatonna police officer, working with the South Central Drug Task Force, then fired at the suspect, the statement said. The suspect later died from his injuries.
The BCA agent was taken to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester with minor injuries and is expected to recover. The officer who shot the suspect was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure in officer-involved shootings, the statement said.
The suspect’s name was being withheld pending positive identification and notification of relatives. The name of the injured undercover BCA agent was not released because of the nature of his work. The name of the Owatonna officer was not immediately released.
The Dodge County sheriff’s office and the BCA were investigating the incident and said they would release more information when it becomes available.
The incident happened around 5:30 p.m. next to the parking lot at the John’s Foods grocery store on the eastern edge of Dodge Center.
The South Central Drug Task Force is made up of 12 local and county law enforcement agencies from Steele, Waseca, Freeborn and Faribault Counties.
