POLK COUNTY, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – Crookston police officer Nicholas Gunner Fladland, recently involved in two fatal shootings, had been reprimanded for multiple policy violations just months before. Fladland shot and killed Andrew Dale on May 16, 2024, and then fatally shot Christopher Junkin on June 30, 2024.
Dale, 35, reportedly provoked the officers by demanding they shoot him while wielding a hatchet, as captured by body camera footage. Junkin, 44, was shot at a homeless shelter after he was unable to be subdued by tasers and a chemical irritant.
Fladland, who joined the Crookston Police Department in February 2023, had previously been disciplined for insubordination, neglecting duties, and other issues. In December 2023, he was reprimanded for working out during his shift and frequently changing into civilian clothes before the end of his shift. Following the June shooting, he was placed on critical incident leave.