Police in Brooklyn Park are asking for the public’s help in finding an endangered missing girl who was last seen on Monday, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Winona Kay Bisson, 9, was last seen in the 9500 block of Knox Avenue North in Brooklyn Park, near Willowstone Park, with blue jeans and a navy blue top. Law enforcement says she’s believed to be with a noncustodial parent.
Winona Kay Bisson, 9.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
According to officials, Bisson is 5 feet tall, weighs 70 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office at 952-258-5321 or 911.
Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman is out of the hospital after undergoing a 9-hour surgery for injuries he sustained in June’s lawmaker shootings, according to a news release sent Friday.
Hoffman, D-Minnesota Senate District 34, and his wife, Yvette, were shot in their Champlin home during the morning of June 14, before former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed at their home in Brooklyn Park.
Yvette Hoffman says her husband was shot nine times, and she was shot eight times.
John Hoffman underwent surgery on Monday to repair “bullet impact” injuries to his kidney, bladder and colon, the release said. He was discharged from the hospital on Friday and is expected to make a full recovery.
Democratic Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman leaves the hospital on Nov. 14, 2025, four days after a surgery on injuries sustained in June’s shooting attacks.
Hoffman Family
Yvette Hoffman said her husband endured “many surgeries” the day after the politically motivated attacks.
The man accused of the politically motivated attacks, 58-year-old Vance Boelter, faces six federal charges. He pleaded not guilty.
A trial date for Boelter has not been set as the defense reviews thousands of documents and recordings related to the attacks that prosecutors turned over.
Investigators said Boelter was impersonating a police officer and had a hit list that included the names of other Democratic officials the night of the incident.
NOTE: The attached video first aired on Nov. 12, 2025.
Vance Boelter, 58, faces federal and state murder and attempted murder charges in connection with the deaths of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette on June 14 in their respective Twin Cities homes.
Jenny Lynne Boelter filed a petition for “dissolution with child” in Sibley County earlier this month, according to court documents. The official grounds of the divorce are unknown, as Judge Amber Donley granted her request to seal “all current and future documents filed in this matter,” which are to be treated as confidential.
“We are absolutely shocked, heartbroken and completely blindsided. This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family,” Jenny Boelter wrote. “We are appalled and horrified by what occurred and our hearts are incredibly heavy for the victims of this unfathomable tragedy.”
Vance Boelter was captured more than 40 hours after the killings near the home he shared with Jenny Boelter and their children in Green Isle, located about 50 miles southwest of the metro. State officials called the manhunt the largest in Minnesota history.
Vance Boelter being taken into custody in Green Isle, Minnesota, on June 15, 2025.
RCSO
According to federal court documents, Jenny Boelter and some of her children left Green Isle by vehicle just hours after the shooting. Law enforcement contacted her by phone and arranged to meet her at a gas station close to her location at that time, which was about 150 miles away from Green Isle near Lake Mille Lacs.
An FBI special agent noted in an affidavit that Jenny Boelter had two guns, passports and about $10,000 in cash in her vehicle. They noted she was “cooperative” with law enforcement, but initially “was not forthcoming with knowledge of her husband being involved in something serious” after revealing Vance Boelter messaged her earlier that day to “take the kids and go to her parent’s house and that there may be people with guns coming to the house.”
Jenny Boelter also told law enforcement in that meeting she and her husband were “preppers,” meaning they “prepare for major or catastrophic incidents.”
Soon after the shootings, investigators found more than 50 firearms and a tub of ammunition in their Green Isle home.
Jenny Boelter has not been charged with any crimes, and noted in her statement on June 27 she “fully cooperated with investigators and responded to their every request.”
“We are grateful for the diligent and professional efforts of the authorities to fully investigate these crimes,” Jenny Boelter wrote. “We thank law enforcement for apprehending Vance and protecting others from further harm.”
Stephen Swanson is a web producer at CBS News Minnesota. Stephen was a floor director for a decade before moving to the WCCO-TV newsroom in 2011, where he focuses on general assignment reporting.
A 44-year-old man is accused of stabbing the father of his ex-girlfriend’s child during an altercation in Brooklyn Park on Wednesday.
According to a criminal complaint, officers arrived at the scene on the 5800 block of 73rd Avenue shortly after midnight. They found a man in a bloody shirt who was unconscious. He was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery.
The girlfriend told police that the father of her child had been stabbed by her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. She said the father had come to drop off their daughter and stayed to put her to bed.
The ex-boyfriend then came home and started arguing with her, she said. She told police he pushed her into a wall and punched her in the face, documents say.
The father heard the altercation and came out of the bedroom, the complaint says. Then the father and ex-boyfriend went outside, and the woman said she saw her ex-boyfriend push the father. The father put his hands up to defend himself but the ex-boyfriend stabbed him, court documents say.
The woman told police that when the ex-boyfriend hit her, she saw he had a knife hidden under his shirt.
The man faces an attempted second-degree murder charge. The complaint says he is not in custody and his whereabouts are unknown.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Police in Brooklyn Park are investigating a domestic stabbing that took place overnight Saturday.
Police say they responded to the 7400 block of 72nd Avenue North on reports of a stabbing. When they arrived they found a man had been stabbed multiple times by his fiancée. She then fled the scene.
Police were able to find the fiancée and take them into custody. The man was taken to a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Chloe is a digital producer at CBS Minnesota in Minneapolis and has worked in numerous positions at the station, including Assignment Editor, Digital Line Producer and Web Producer. She started her career at CBS Minnesota in 2015.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A judge sentenced a man to 40 years in prison on Monday for fatally shooting a 19-year-old in the chest during a party in Brooklyn Park.
According to witnesses, Walker, the victim and several others were at a party in a garage on the 9500 block of Thomas Avenue North on June 2, 2023, when Walker shot the victim in the chest “without provocation,” according to the complaint. Several witnesses identified Walker as the shooter.
MINNEAPOLIS — A 23-year-old Brooklyn Park man pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Monday as part of a plea deal in a case involving his two-year-old son, who police believe shot and killed a man in September of 2022.
Marlon White was charged in January with two counts of second-degree manslaughter. His trial was supposed to begin on Monday, but he submitted a guilty plea. As part of the deal, he only pleaded guilty to one of the manslaughter counts, and the other will be dropped.
Court documents say the victim was shot inside a Brooklyn Park residence but died at the hospital. In a statement to police, White told investigators he brought a gun to the residence and put it under the victim’s couch, because he did not want the victim’s brother to see it. He then left the residence to get his 2-year-old son, and the two returned to the victim’s residence.
White told police that he was speaking with another friend on FaceTime when he heard the gunshot, charges say. He was not sure who moved the gun from under the couch.
The friend White was on FaceTime with later told investigators he heard gunfire, and soon after White told him his son had “just shot him,” according to the criminal complaint.
The two manslaughter counts against White cited “culpable negligence” and “neglect or endangerment of a child” as grounds for the charges. He pleaded guilty to the culpable negligence charge.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Police in the north metro arrested someone Saturday evening for shooting another person and seriously injuring them.
Officers with the Brooklyn Park Police Department responded to a shooting at a residence on the 8400 block of Adair Avenue North around 6:30 p.m.
Police say officers found a victim with a serious gunshot wound upon their arrival and immediately rendered aid. The victim was transported to the hospital for care where their condition is unknown,
Officers were quickly able to locate a suspect and arrested them. During the arrest, police say officers recovered a firearm.
The suspect and victim knew each other, according to the preliminary investigation.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Brooklyn Park Police Department during the incident.
Riley Moser is a digital producer who covers breaking news and feature stories for CBS Minnesota. Riley started her career at CBS Minnesota in June 2022 and earned an honorable mention for sports writing from the Iowa College Media Association the same year.
Police say the woman’s three American bulldogs mauled her at the Huntington Place apartments in Brooklyn Park on Tuesday night.
It’s at least the fourth serious dog attack in the Minneapolis suburb since July.
A security guard was also hurt while trying to stop Tuesday’s attack. The guard injured one of the dogs in the process. By the time police arrived, the attack was over.
The dog’s owner was critically injured and taken to the hospital. Two of the dogs were running around in the hallways of the large apartment complex.
“The officers were able to corral the dogs in a safe location and evacuate all the residents, and after the dog was not responsible to any other means of containment, was shot and killed,” said Inspector Elliot Faust with the Brooklyn Park Police Department.
“We’re really taking an aggressive stance on this because it is clearly a major problem in our community,” Faust said. “So dogs at large that are left off leash running around in the community, that is a citable offense violation of city ordinances.”
Brooklyn Park has issued 47 citations in an attempt to promote responsible pet ownership.
The puppy is in quarantine at an animal shelter now. Police are still investigating the attack.
Reg Chapman joined WCCO-TV in May of 2009. He came to WCCO from WNBC-TV in New York City where he covered an array of stories for the station including the Coney Island plane crash, the crane collapse on the city’s east side, 50 shots fired at motorist Sean Bell by New York Police, and a lacrosse team assault at Fairfield High School in Connecticut.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A suburban police force is dealing with a dramatic number of departures.
City records obtained by WCCO show 19 patrol officers have left the Brooklyn Park Police Department since the start of 2023, in addition to a sergeant and four cadets. With current staffing in the low- to mid-90s, that’s roughly 20% of the force.
“We’ve lost some folks to retirement,” said Inspector Elliot Faust. “Several officers that have gone on to other careers, gotten out of this line of work. Some officers have decided to go to other agencies, so yeah, it’s been a high number, difficult to keep up with.”
Five of the 19 who have left didn’t last a year on the job. Two others didn’t make it past two years.
Faust says most of those decided the job wasn’t for them, and with others, the department made that decision for them.
“Things just don’t go as planned,” he said.
But amid the number crunch, both overall crime and violent crime are down this year compared to last.
WCCO asked BPPD how necessary more officers are.
“There’s a smaller number of officers working way more hours, and that’s just something we realize that’s not sustainable,” Faust said. “I would suspect [the decrease in crime] has a little less to do with the number of officers on the street and more to do with ebbs and flows of society.”
Faust says reinforcements are on the way. Thirteen new officers have started this year, and 10 more will start next month.
“That’s the most we’ve ever hired, so we’ve got some good news there,” Faust said.
David joined the WCCO team in April 2020, previously working at CBS 58 in Milwaukee. Prior to that, he worked in Las Vegas. While there, David covered several stories in the national spotlight, including the October 1 mass shooting and political visits from President Barack Obama and candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — A 21-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint was caught when his stepfather turned him in, according to charges filed Tuesday.
Cade Talawalay is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree aggravated robbery, according to the criminal complaint.
Hennepin County
The assault occurred the afternoon of April 24. The victim was on a walking trail in Brooklyn Park when a man approached her, pointed a gun at her face, forced her to walk into nearby foliage and sexually assaulted her, the complaint said.
The victim went home and called 911. She told investigators the man said “he would not kill her unless she told” and she “thought she would die if she did not comply.”
Police released surveillance photos of the suspect. Upon seeing them, Talawalay’s stepfather called law enforcement, identified him as the suspect and brought him in to be arrested, the complaint states.
Investigators allege they found the victim’s cellphone in Talawalay’s bedroom.
Talawalay is in custody.
Note: The video above originally aired April 28, 2024.
Sexual Assault Resources
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Police in Brooklyn Park say a woman was sexually assaulted Wednesday, and they’re still looking for the suspect.
The assault happened around 3:15 p.m. near the pathway around the 7400 block of Unity Avenue, according to the Brooklyn Park Police Department.
Police described the suspect as a man in his mid-20s, about 5’6″ with a “slight build.” He “had mid-length hair standing on end [and] a small mustache,” police said. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black pants, black tennis shoes and a black cross-body bag.
He had a gun at the time of the assault, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Brooklyn Park Police Department.
According to city data, there have been 31 reported sexual assaults in Brooklyn Park so far this year.
Sexual Assault Resources
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — It’s a game that can go from fun to frightening, fast.
“Luckily no one got hurt,” Mark Harris said.
Harris lives in the Brooklyn Park neighborhood where a homeowner called police Tuesday around 6:45 a.m. after seeing someone in their yard wearing camouflage and holding what appeared to them to be a long gun.
“Our officers take it very seriously, we have to. Every call like that is handled like it’s the real thing,” Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Elliot Faust said.
In this case, the weapon in question turned out to be a water gun of sorts, police said. It was held by a Champlin Park High School student who told officers he was playing a game called “senior assassins.”
“I think as the times are changing and as tragedies have happened in our community and put everybody on edge, I think this kind of takes a different form now for people,” Faust said.
In 2015, two Lakeville South students died in a crash while playing the game.
“The last thing we need is another issue where people are shooting projectiles, even harmless ones at each other on the roadway. It’s not the right place for this type of behavior,” Faust said.
In a note to families Tuesday, Anoka-Hennepin Schools wrote in part, “Taking a proactive stance, it is requested that parents and guardians reinforce safe driving practices with children to ensure their safety and the safety of their friends.”
“Swing set, toys, and we’ve got young kids in the neighborhood and if we can slow the kids down doing stupid things, all for it,” Harris said.
Carrying firearm look-alikes, also known as facsimile firearms, within Brooklyn Park is a crime.
“We’d really like to avoid a tragedy from happening and this is our attempt to try to get ahead of that,” Faust said.
Kirsten Mitchell joined the WCCO team as a reporter in November of 2021. A Saint Paul native, Kirsten is proud to tell stories in her home state. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Go Gophs!) and interned at WCCO during her time there.
