The man shot and wounded in his Brooklyn Park home by a rookie police officer Sunday was armed and resisted officers while distraught that his 7-month-old son had died after sleeping with him in the same bed, according to state investigators and court records.
The shooting came after 24-year-old Oronde Neal Reese learned of his son's death, made statements about harming himself within earshot of family and investigators and locked himself in a bedroom closet with a gun. A physical struggle with police for the gun followed.
Reese remains hospitalized as of midday Thursday at North Memorial Health Hospital in fair condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said.
Officer Momodou Dibba, who fired at Reese, has three months of experience as a law enforcement officer, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Dibba has been placed on critical incident leave, a standard procedure after a police shooting.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the child's death, filed for a 14-day extreme-risk protection order against Reese on Monday, which was granted.
An extreme-risk protection order requires a respondent's guns to be surrendered if they're considered a danger to themselves or others.
According to the BCA, Brooklyn Park police and court filings:
Just before 4 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a report of a baby not breathing at the home in the 8700 block of N. Queens Gardens. They found the boy in critical condition and with vomit on his face.
The child, who has not yet been identified, died after being hospitalized.
After news of the death reached Reese, he made statements about not wanting to live anymore and ran to an upstairs bedroom to retrieve a handgun, according to the court filing.
Another resident of the home forced open a locked door to the bedroom and found Reese in a closet. He told officers he had a gun, and a physical struggle with police ensued before Dibba eventually opened fire.
It's unclear how many times Dibba fired, but multiple casings and a gun were recovered, the BCA said.
The BCA is investigating Dibba's use of force, which was captured on body camera.