By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- St. Peter Police Officer Austin Buss sustained injuries to his arm and ballistic vest on June 18 after a shotgun-wielding suspect fired from the second floor of a residence during a search operation.
- Mankato police had been pursuing a vehicle that fled into St. Peter and stopped on a residential street; the driver ran into the home where officers safely evacuated an adult woman and juvenile before searching the structure.
- Buss and a second officer returned fire after the suspect discharged the shotgun, then exited the home to allow Buss to receive medical treatment.
- Law enforcement secured the residence and attempted to negotiate the suspect’s surrender; after an extended period without contact, officers deployed a drone inside and discovered the suspect dead from a gunshot wound.
- Body camera footage released by the department documents the officers’ approach to the stairway and the moment the suspect fired, with Buss screaming as he fell before returning fire.
ST. PETER, MINN. — Officer Austin Buss of the St. Peter Police Department sustained injuries during a residential shooting incident on June 18 after officers located an armed suspect who discharged a shotgun from the second floor of a home where he had barricaded himself.
The incident began when Mankato police initiated a vehicle pursuit that fled into St. Peter and came to a stop on a residential street. The driver exited the vehicle and ran into a nearby residence. Officers responding to the scene safely evacuated an adult woman and a juvenile from the home before confirming the suspect remained inside the structure.
As officers conducted a systematic search of the residence, the suspect fired a shotgun from the second floor, striking Buss in the arm and his ballistic vest. Buss and a second officer returned fire in response. Officers then evacuated the home to allow Buss to receive emergency medical treatment for his injuries.
Law enforcement personnel secured the residence and initiated negotiation efforts to persuade the suspect to surrender peacefully. After an extended period elapsed without contact from the suspect, officers deployed a drone into the home to assess the situation. The drone located the suspect dead on the second floor from a gunshot wound.
Body camera footage released by the St. Peter Police Department documents the incident. The video shows the first officer entering the home after a resident opened the door, with officers approaching the stairway and issuing commands for the person upstairs to come down and display his hands. As the first officer begins ascending the stairs, a shotgun blast is heard, followed by screaming as the officer falls. Return gunfire can be heard before the video concludes.
Buss is recovering at home following treatment for his injuries.