Authorities have identified the police officer and man he fatally shot following a 24-hour standoff in Austin. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) on Tuesday said Austin police officer Zachary Gast, who has been with the department for two years, fatally shot Kokou Christopher Fiafonou, 38, in the Kwik Trip gas station parking lot on Dec. 23. The medical examiner says the 38 year old died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to a release from the BCA. Investigators found a knife near Fiafonou’s body, the BCA said.
MEANWHILE…
A GoFundMe page set up by the victims family to help with funeral expenses says he suffered from a mental disorder and was praying out loud when police started harassing him. The BCA is handling the investigation into Fiafonou’s death. When the BCA finishes its investigation, it will send the case to the Mower County Attorney’s Office, which will consider charges against the officer.
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