Polk County (trfnews.i234.me) — A dramatic cross-border pursuit ended in a police shooting just outside Crookston, Minnesota, on April 7, and now the officer involved has been identified.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) confirmed that Officer Sean Murphy of the Crookston Police Department, a seven-year law enforcement veteran, discharged his firearm during the incident. Murphy has since been placed on standard critical incident leave as per protocol.
The man injured in the incident is Caleb Coffey, 34, of Oklahoma. He was released from Altru Hospital on Tuesday and is now in custody at the Northwest Regional Corrections Center in Crookston.
It all began when U.S. Customs and Border Protection initiated a pursuit of Coffey’s vehicle at the Pembina Port of Entry in North Dakota. The chase spanned several counties and crossed into Minnesota, with multiple law enforcement agencies joining the effort. The pursuit followed Highway 75 through Crookston and ended west of the city on County Road 9, near County Road 16.
According to the BCA’s preliminary findings, Coffey exited his vehicle with a handgun in hand as law enforcement attempted to arrest him. It was then that Officer Murphy fired, striking Coffey. Law enforcement officers immediately provided medical aid until paramedics arrived.
Fortunately, no law enforcement personnel were injured, and no one else was found inside Coffey’s vehicle. A firearm was recovered near where Coffey was shot.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has requested that the BCA lead the investigation. Body camera and squad car footage have been collected and will be reviewed. The investigation is still in its early stages, and once completed, the findings will be forwarded to the Polk County Attorney’s Office for review — with no recommendation from the BCA.
Did you know?
Masks became a major point of controversy starting with the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2017. Lawmakers worry some use face coverings to evade identification before committing crimes.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News