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Tag: St. Paul Police Department

  • St. Paul police chief reflects on three years in the job, city finds finds success in solving non-fatal shootings

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    St. Paul, Minnesota Police nearly doubled the number of nonfatal shooting cases investigators solved in a year’s time, drawing attention from other departments who are interested in finding the same closure in their city. 

    But Chief Axel Henry, who marks three years in the role this month, says he won’t be celebrating the improvement or the drop in homicides until there are none. 

    “Those numbers are going down at really great rates, but I don’t end zone dance on numbers like that until they’re going to be at zero,” Henry said in an interview. 

    From January through mid-November, homicides dropped 56% this year compared to the same time period last year. Carjackings have plummeted by 17%. 

    But police outside the capital city are noting one significant change: the clearance rate for nonfatal shootings. In 2022, the department solved 28% of those crimes. Last year that number soared to 69%, thanks to a new unit focused on those shootings that is part of a three-year project ending next year. 

    Henry said investigators treat those cases as they would homicides.

    “That, of course, is something that’s helping us drive down the homicide rate because we kept those shooters in non-fatals—those are failed murders for all practical purposes. So by driving down those areas, they’re impacting not only those numbers,” he explained in an interview.

    Overall, the city is on pace for a significant decline in how many people were shot in the city this year compared to the last. 

    “That’s 120 people that won’t be shot this year in the city of Saint Paul. That’s the real gold medal,” he said. “It’s great to solve these and drive down the crime rate, but the ‘never happens’ are the ones we care most about.”

    At the state capitol, some lawmakers want to ban assault-style weapons and high capacity magazines in wake of the Annunciation Church shooting in Minneapolis.

    The St. Paul City council recently approved its own ordinance doing the same, though it can’t be enforced because of state preemption laws.

    Henry believes there is more work to do on cracking down on gun crimes, but that there may be better strategies than such a ban. 

    “I think our bigger problem is with folks that are using guns illegally—whether or not they’re criminals and they’re not supposed to have them, or people that are too young to have them and the access they have to firearms. I think there are some really, really good common sense things that can happen around the ghost gun issue, which just simply wasn’t a problem that anybody could have imagined 10 years ago,” he said. “And so I think there’s a lot of things we could be doing that would have a much greater effect on the gun violence problem.”

    St. Paul police adopts new AI policy

    The St. Paul Police Department recently adopted a policy on appropriate use of artificial intelligence, which more departments are relying on in the course of their work. 

    Henry said the topic was unthinkable three years ago when he first stepped into the role as chief after 24 years on the force, which shows just how fast AI is evolving. 

    The new guidance prohibits officers from using publicly available generative AI tools like Chat GBT to write police reports or do research, but department-approved transcription software from company Axon—which has other services other departments are using in different ways—is permissible to use for drafts of police narratives in reports. 

    He said the policy stemmed from conversations with the private sector as well as federal partners and other local departments. He also acknowledged its provisions would likely change “20 times in the next 24 months” to keep pace with how the technology is developing. 

    “If there’s something that allows an officer to dictate or write a police report faster so we can get them out of the way from the desk and back out in the squad car in the community, I’m all for it,” he told WCCO. “As long as it’s something that conveys what they did accurately and that it doesn’t create an issue where that information now becomes public when it was supposed to be private.”

    “Artificial intelligence is supposed to be a force multiplier for us, but what we don’t want to turn it into is something where it becomes Orwellian, or comes into something that is loose and fast with people’s data,” he added.

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    Caroline Cummings

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  • St. Paul leaders, residents unite to reject hate flyers found in the community

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    About three weeks ago, laminated racist flyers were scattered in several St. Paul neighborhoods, according to St. Paul Police.

    Residents say the flyers were filled with hateful language targeting the African American community. 

    Officers quickly flooded the area and worked to clean up the flyers. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made as of Wednesday. 

    “To see that kind of rhetoric, to see that vile hatred to call these flyers, racist is an understatement,” said Justin Lewandowski, from Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC).

    Despite the shock and hurt, community members gathered inside Bethlehem Lutheran Church to stand together and reject hate. 

    “It’s an opportunity to meet challenge with joy meet fear with connection,” Lewandowski said. 

    City leaders, neighbors and community groups echoed a message of unity throughout the evening while emphasizing that St. Paul is a city where everyone should feel welcome. 

    Mayor Melvin Carter also stopped gathering, saying the intimidation will not work and reminded people how connected everyone is. 

    “We can’t erase the fact that evil exists, but we can respond to it with beauty,” Carter said. 

    From the podium to the pews, the message was clear; unity always wins. 

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    Ubah Ali

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  • Car drives into Lake Como, driver pulled from water with non-life-threatening injuries

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    St. Paul officials pulled a driver from a car after it drove into Lake Como Wednesday afternoon. 

    Officials say they were called to Lake Como near Wheelock Parkway around 2 p.m. When officials arrived they found a car partially submerged about 15 feet off the shoreline. 

    Responders were able to enter the water to speak with the driver. The driver appeared to have non-life-threatening injuries. Fire crews were able to set up a rope rescue system to pull the diver from the water. The victim was then checked out by emergency personnel before being transported to a local hospital. 

    The incident is under investigation.

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    WCCO Staff

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  • St. Paul police investigating after driver hits, kills woman outside home

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    WCCO digital headlines: Morning of Sept. 28, 2025



    WCCO digital headlines: Morning of Sept. 28, 2025

    01:07

    St. Paul police are investigating after they say a driver ran over a woman and killed her Sunday afternoon in the city’s Como neighborhood.

    Officers responded to the 1000 block of Stinson Street at approximately 2:30 p.m. on a report of an accident with injuries, according to police.

    Upon arrival, officers found a 36-year-old woman who was not conscious or breathing. She was pronounced dead on scene by St. Paul fire medics.

    Police say the driver remained on scene and is cooperating with officers.

    Preliminary evidence suggests the driver struck the woman before coming to a stop in a backyard, investigators say.

    No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

    Riley Moser

    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.

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    Riley Moser

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  • Early Saturday crash near Lake Phalen leaves man dead

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    An overnight crash involving a pedestrian in St. Paul, Minnesota’s Greater East Side neighborhood, has left a man dead.

    According to St. Paul police, officers were called to the intersection of Maryland Avenue and Clarence Street around 12:45 a.m. 

    The driver, identified as a man, told police he was headed west on Maryland Avenue and crossing Clarence Street when he hit a man. 

    Police say the victim was brought to Regions Hospital after medics began life-saving measures. However, the man died at the hospital. While his name hasn’t been provided, police tell WCCO he was 32 years old. 

    The driver, who said he didn’t see the victim crossing, is being cooperative, according to police. They add that he didn’t show any signs of impairment. 

    Currently, the driver hasn’t been arrested, and the crash is still under investigation. 

    This is the second fatal pedestrian-involved crash in as many days along Maryland Avenue. 

    A couple of miles down the road on Friday morning, police say 31-year-old Abdul Bakr Jafar of St. Paul was hit by a large conversion van on the 2300 block of Maryland Avenue East in Maplewood. 

    Although the driver in that crash left the scene, a neighbor’s surveillance camera recorded the crash. Police were able to track the vehicle and arrested a 46-year-old man in the town of Sleepy Eye a few hours after the crash happened. He is being held at the Ramsey County Jail and is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol.  

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    Krystal Frasier

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  • Kanabec native promoted to Sergeant Major in the National Guard

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    Trailblazing Minnesota native prompted to Sergeant Major



    Trailblazing Minnesota native prompted to Sergeant Major

    02:05

    For a local public servant, Saturday was one for the books. Saint Paul Police Sergeant Jessica Stiffarm was promoted to Sergeant Major in the National Guard. 

    “To be honest, it’s kind of a surreal moment” said Minnesota National Guard Sergeant Major Stiffarm. “I never imagined that one I’d have 22 years of service in the Minnesota National Guard or be a police officer of 13 years either. But I can’t imagine doing anything different.” 

    Last year, WCCO reported on Stiffarm’s promotion to Sergeant within Saint Paul Police Department, being the second indigenous female sergeant in the department’s history.

    “For me, what drives me is people. Service to people,” said Stiffarm. “At 17 I knew I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

    Being a trailblazer isn’t easy, but she didn’t let that stop her.

    “I guess what I’d tell my 17 year-old self ‘whatever you want to do is possible through hard work and dedication,’” she added.

    Her new title is a reflection of that dedication. Stiffarm was awarded the role in the building she was first deployed out of when she was 20 years-old.

    “Literally until today, that’s the last time I was in this building for some type of ceremony for myself or promotion, so it’s pretty cool,” said Stiffarm.

    Stiffarm urges the next generation to find a mentor and grab onto everything they teach.

    Frankie McLister

    Frankie McLister, originally from Middletown, Maryland, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

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    Frankie McLister

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  • St. Paul police offering presence at all district schools for start of year following Annunciation shooting

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    As warm beach days wind to a close at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Kaitlin Bornhoft and her 5-year-old daughter Juliette are making the most of their summer grand finale, before kindergarten starts in just a few days.    

    “We’re excited for her to have another year with familiar faces returning, and a familiar teacher whom she’s had last year as well,” said Bornhoft.

    With that anticipation comes trepidation in the wake of Wednesday’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church.

    “We’re entrusting that she’ll be safe with the wonderful educators and the folks that will be there,” said Bornhoft.

    In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey said they’ve partnered with more than a dozen agencies to provide hundreds of extra shifts patrolling around schools and churches.



    Minneapolis police chief talks safety as kids head back to school after Annunciation shooting

    04:42

    In St. Paul, Minnesota, school leaders received a letter from St. Paul police Deputy Chief Kurt Hallstrom. The department says it’s offering “…police presence outside every public and private school within the Saint Paul School District to help bolster a sense of safety and security.”

    “It’s just something that we can do that costs us nothing and shows that we are standing shoulder to shoulder with the people that are trying to keep our kids safe and have a good school year,” said Hallstrom.

    “St. Paul Police Department, they reached out to our superintendent and said, ‘What can I do? What can we do to support and show our community that we’re going to protect our students?’” Said Marcus Sullivan, Saint Paul Public Schools security leader.

    Police won’t be able to be at every school all four days this week, Hallstrom said. So far, no school has declined the help.

    Police presence means some peace of mind for Bornhoft. Her daughter Juliette starts school in St. Paul on Thursday.

    “It’s assuring in the sense that it feels there’s extra eyes. It’s sad to think that there needs to be those extra eyes, but I’m grateful that they’re taking it seriously to offer any assurance that they can,” said Bornhoft.

    Jason Rantala

    Jason Rantala joined WCCO as a reporter in June 2023. He’s a Minnesota native and is thrilled to be telling the stories of those in his hometown.

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    Jason Rantala

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  • Hamline-Midway business owners looking at moving due to drug issues

    Hamline-Midway business owners looking at moving due to drug issues

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    ST. PAUL, Minn. — The tight-knit, community-centered feel of St. Paul’s Hamline-Midway neighborhood is what brought Angie and Ted Vig’s guitar shop, Vig Guitars, to their current location along Snelling Avenue ten years ago.

    “After the unrest happened, everybody came out and started cleaning up and helping and asking if we needed help,” said Angie Vig.
        
    However, a recent epidemic, as Angie calls it, of widespread narcotics use — sometimes just outside her business — has impacted public perception, and in turn, foot traffic.

    “They won’t stop in because people are gathered in front of a certain business,” said Vig.
        
    Drug issues and shoplifting began around the time of the COVID shutdown, she said.

    Frustrations over drug use and crime boiled over at a Hamline-Midway Town Hall meeting Thursday night.

    “I saw that it got a little heated,” said Vig.
        
    A Saint Paul Police incident report from September said the hub of the fentanyl-fueled drug activity centered around Kimball Court Apartments along Snelling Avenue. 

    According to that report “every doorway, alley, walkway between buildings, and dark spot available is littered with burnt aluminum foil and dirty needles.” The report goes on to say that employees at both the nearby Holiday and Taco Bell “…are constantly threatened and harassed for being… unwilling to allow people to shoplift.”
        
    “Door Dash drivers at Taco Bell have been robbed several times out in front of the business,” the report said.

    It’s gotten so bad, the owners of Vig Guitars said they are looking at moving their business to a different area. 

    “It’s like we’re being forced to move, to leave,” said Vig. 

    Vig said there are no easy answers to solve the neighborhood’s drug epidemic.

    “There’s a lot of help out there, but there’s a lot of people who don’t want to accept it.”

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    Jason Rantala

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  • St. Paul police need help finding a missing 19-year-old

    St. Paul police need help finding a missing 19-year-old

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    WCCO digital headlines: Morning of Oct. 18, 2024


    WCCO digital headlines: Morning of Oct. 18, 2024

    03:23

    ST. PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul Police Department is asking the public for help in locating a missing 19-year-old.

    According the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Jae’Shaun Murray was last seen leaving school on Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m. near Jefferson Avenue and West Seventh Street  in St Paul.  

    Murray is described as being five feet 10 inches tall with black hair and dark eyes. 

    Authorities say Murray was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black ripped jeans, a blue shaggy hat and a dark navy cross-body bag.

    Police say Murray has been known to use public transit and was traveling towards the area of Fifth Street and Minnesota Street on the night he went missing.

    Authorities urge anyone with information regarding Murray’s whereabouts or disappearance to call the St. Paul Police Department at 651-291-1111.

    Mackenzie Lofgren

    Mackenzie Lofgren is a web producer and digital content producer at CBS Minnesota. She writes web articles and produces short-form video content used on CBS Minnesota’s streaming platforms.

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    Mackenzie Lofgren

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  • Data shows 58% of Minnesota law enforcement agencies trace weapons, but only 13% share what they learn | WCCO Investigates

    Data shows 58% of Minnesota law enforcement agencies trace weapons, but only 13% share what they learn | WCCO Investigates

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    MINNEAPOLIS — A dozen states require police to trace guns recovered during criminal investigations, according to “Everytown for Gun Safety.” Minnesota isn’t one of them.

    Data shows that 58% of law enforcement agencies in the state trace some weapons, but only 13% of them share what they learn.

    Should that change? WCCO Senior Investigative Reporter Jennifer Mayerle went to Travis Riddle, the ATF’s Special Agent in Charge in St. Paul, to find out.

    Pistols are the most commonly traced guns found at crime scenes in Minnesota.

    “For crime guns, the easier you’re able to hide it or conceal it, or even just get rid of it, that is going to be the weapon of choice,” Riddle said.

    They account for more than 70% of crime guns traced in Minnesota last year, most often Glocks, says Riddle. Reasons for the trace range from a weapon offense to homicide.

    “The trends for the state is that the majority of the firearms that are recovered and traced in Minnesota originated in Minnesota,” Riddle said.

    Agencies in the state have a choice if they want the ATF to trace its crime guns. It can be done online using eTrace or over the phone, and it’s free. Cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul do.  

    WCCO


    “Why does St. Paul choose to do it?” Mayerle asked St. Paul District Chief Jeff Stiff.

    “I think that it’s important, right? Obviously a crime with a victim, a person’s crime with a victim, and it can help you. You don’t know when it can help you, right?” Stiff said.

    “Why does the department put all of the guns into the eTrace system?” Mayerle asked MPD Forensic Administrative Analyst Mehgan Hamann.

    “So that it can help in any, I mean, it could help in any shape or form,” Hamann said.

    Close to 40% of agencies in the state don’t use eTrace.

    “There is an incentive for them to participate. But a lot of times what it takes is to show them that the first success of you trace this gun, this is where it got you. This is how it helps you,” Riddle said.

    Agencies that opt in can share their data with other law enforcement in the state, but few do.

    “It’s not something that they’re intentionally excluding. It’s a checkbox, and either you check it or you don’t check it,” Riddle said. “And if you don’t check it, then you don’t get to share.”

    Lawmakers could change that and require agencies to trace crime guns. A move like that could create a bigger picture of guns connected to crimes within the state. It could also put more pressure on an already strapped tracing system.

    Neil Troppman runs the ATF’s National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

    “So right now, we’re on average of about 10 or 11 days to complete this firearms trace, which in our view is too long,” Troppman said. “Our objective is to get them done within seven days for a routine trace.”

    “Why is it important for agencies to trace their crime guns?” Mayerle asked Troppman.

    “The tracing of firearms not only identifies the purchaser of that particular firearm that was used in that crime, but the collective information of a firearm trace could lead to wider trafficking issues or bigger trends in that area,” Troppman said.

    One thing is clear: the ATF wants more departments to use eTrace. And the center can already use more manpower. The budget proposal submitted for 2025 requests tens of millions for upgrades, saying in part: “Delays in crime gun trace results increase the risk of investigative leads going cold and leave shooters on the streets longer, giving them the opportunity to commit more crimes.”

    “An increase in staff would certainly assist in making improvements to our facility. More resources, more funding, those kinds of things would certainly enable us to be a little bit more efficient,” Troppman said.

    WCCO reached out to state lawmakers invested in gun legislation. They declined our interview request or said they needed more information before taking a position. We’ll be sure to follow up.

    Wednesday at 6 p.m., we look into the national conversation to modernize the ATF’s tracing system.

    Jennifer Mayerle


    jennifer-mayerle.png

    Jennifer Mayerle happily returned to Minnesota and WCCO, where she began her career as an intern. The Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist joined WCCO as a reporter in May 2014. She also anchors “WCCO Saturday Morning” from 8-9 a.m.

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    Jennifer Mayerle

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  • Body of missing man, 20, found in St. Paul

    Body of missing man, 20, found in St. Paul

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    Morning headlines from Sept. 6, 2024


    Morning headlines from Sept. 6, 2024

    04:37

    ST. PAUL, Minn. —  The body of 20-year-old Sebastian Santibanez was found nine days after he was reported missing, police say.

    St. Paul police were called to the 600 block of Prior Avenue North after a passerby reported finding a body along a railroad track in a wooded area. 

    The Ramsey County Medical Examiner identified the body as Santibanez on Thursday after getting results of a DNA test. Police say the missing person report was canceled after the test results came back. 

    The cause of death is unknown. 

    On June 16, St. Paul police had asked for the public’s help to find the 20-year-old.

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    Nick Lentz

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  • Police investigate a body found in a St. Paul parking ramp

    Police investigate a body found in a St. Paul parking ramp

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    WCCO digital headlines: Morning of June 15, 2024


    WCCO digital headlines: Morning of June 15, 2024

    01:01

    ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police responded to a call just after 5 a.m. on Saturday after a body was found on a parking ramp near in St. Paul.

    According to police, officers discovered what they believed to be the body of an adult female at a parking ramp near the intersection of East Fourth Street and Cedar Ave. 

    Investigators say the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death is under investigation. Police say they have yet to determine whether her death was accidental, criminal, or possibly due to suicide. 

    The St. Paul police are working with the Ramsey County Medical Examiner to identify the victim. 

    The investigation is ongoing.

    Mackenzie Lofgren

    Mackenzie Lofgren is a web producer and digital content producer at CBS Minnesota. She writes web articles and produces short-form video content used on CBS Minnesota’s streaming platforms.

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    Mackenzie Lofgren

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  • Developing: Incident unfolding at the Ramsey County Jail

    Developing: Incident unfolding at the Ramsey County Jail

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    Large police presence clears following an incident at the Ramsey County Jail


    Large police presence clears following an incident at the Ramsey County Jail

    01:28

    SAINT PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul Police were involved in an incident at the Ramsey County Jail Friday night. 

    Police were transporting a man and brought him to the Ramsey County Jail’s sally port — transfer area — to book him into jail. He was handcuffed at the time. 

    While trying to remove him from a car, police thought they heard a gunshot. SWAT was called to the scene and precautions were taken. 

    Gas was deployed during the incident to get the man out of the car. 

    Nobody was injured during the situation. 

    St. Paul Police will be releasing more information. 

    This is a developing story, check back for more details. 

    Davey Johnson


    headshot.jpg

    Davey Johnson is a digital producer and web writer for WCCO news and CBS News Minnesota. Hailing from the West suburbs of Minneapolis, he is a graduate of the award-winning mass communications program at St. Cloud State University. Davey Johnson primarily focuses stories about breaking news, crime and sports.

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    Davey Johnson

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  • 2 killed in shooting near St. Paul senior living community

    2 killed in shooting near St. Paul senior living community

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    At least two people were killed in a shooting near a senior living community in St. Paul, Minnesota, Saturday night, authorities said.

    The St. Paul Police Department reported that officers responded to the scene in the Frogtown neighborhood to find “multiple people” with gunshot wounds, two of whom died of their injuries. The exact number of shooting victims was unclear.

    According to CBS Minnesota, investigators placed caution tape around the parking lot of Kings Crossing by Episcopal Homes, a senior living apartment complex.

    No further details were immediately provided. It’s unclear if any arrests had been made, or whether police had a motive. A resident of the senior living community told CBS Minnesota that, prior to the shooting, she overheard people arguing in a community room where a group had gathered.

    This marks the second shooting in St. Paul in the past two days. On Friday evening, three teen boys were wounded in a drive-by shooting during a funeral reception for a 15-year-old boy who had been fatally stabbed at a St. Paul high school earlier this month, according to CBS Minnesota.

    All three teen shooting victims were expected to survive, CBS Minnesota reports, and a 16-year-old boy was taken into custody following a car crash. 

    In a tweet Saturday night, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wrote that the “gun violence in St. Paul this weekend is unacceptable. I’m committed to increasing public safety funding, getting illegal guns off the streets, and addressing gang activity to curb the cycle of violence.”


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