BCA Releases Names in St. Joseph Officer-Involved Shooting

ST. JOSEPH (WJON News) -- Authorities have provided more information regarding an officer-involved shooting that took place in St. Joseph last week.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has identified the two people involved as 38-year-old Jason Cully of St. Joseph and Stearns County Deputy Tyler Thunstedt.

According to the BCA, officers from the St. Joseph Police Department responded to a report of Cully making threats of violence on Tuesday. Police say when the officers tried talking to Cully he pointed a gun at them and ran away.

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Authorities were unable to find Cully, but say he continued to call the police department and make threats that night. In response to those threats, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant for Cully's arrest.

The sheriff's office says the Stearns/Benton County SWAT Team tried to serve the warrant at Cully's home in the 200 block of Able Street East around 5:00 p.m. Wednesday night. Authorities say Deputy Thunstedt saw Cully run across his yard to the house next door.

The sheriff's office says Cully ignored commands to stop and drop his weapon and pointed his gun in the deputy's direction. Authorities say Thunstedt fired three times, hitting Cully once.

Cully was taken to St. Cloud Hospital and is in stable condition. No one else was hurt.

Thunstedt has worked in law enforcement for eight years and is on standard administrative leave.

The BCA is still investigating the incident and reviewing evidence that includes a handgun found at the scene and body camera footage from that night.