BCA: Hermantown man killed in shootout with deputy had on fortified bullet-resistant vest

Bullets flew in both directions along the roadside near Duluth between a sheriff's deputy and a motorcyclist wearing a reinforced bullet-resistant vest until the deputy's partner intentionally ran over the mortally wounded suspect, authorities said Wednesday.

Details about the shooting that erupted midafternoon Saturday in Hermantown were released late Tuesday by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which is leading the investigation into the killing of Timothy R. Majchrzak, 37, of Hermantown.

The BCA also identified both the St. Louis County sheriff's deputy who fatally shot Majchrzak and a second deputy who struck the suspect with his squad car near Stebner Road and Village Drive while the exchange of gunfire continued.

Deputy Jason Kuhnly, with the Sheriff's Office for five years, shot Majchrzak. Deputy Troy Fralich, a 12-year veteran with the Sheriff's Office, hit Majchrzak with his squad car.

Fralich's hitting Majchrzak with the vehicle "was intentional," BCA spokeswoman Jill Oliveira said Wednesday. It halted the suspect's gunfire directed at Fralich's partner, which "was ongoing right up until that point," she said.

According to the BCA, two Hermantown police officers and a deputy pursued Majchrzak as he headed north on Midway Road just past W. Arrowhead Road at more than 100 miles per hour. The officers ended the pursuit near Hwy. 53 and Ugstad Road.

Soon after, deputies spotted Majchrzak near Stebner Road and Village Drive. They pursued him briefly until his motorcycle became stuck and Majchrzak fled on foot.

After Fralich struck Majchrzak with his squad car, deputies and Hermantown police rendered medical aid to the suspect, who died at the scene.

The agency's crime-scene personnel recovered Majchrzak's gun and saw that he was wearing a bullet-resistant vest with a trauma plate, a small add-on meant to absorb the impact of gunfire.

The incident was captured on Kuhnly's dash camera video, said the BCA. The agency will examine the recording and other evidence before turning over its findings to the St. Louis County Attorney's Office for determination of whether the deputies, who were placed on standard administrative leave, were justified in their actions.

State court records show Majchrzak has been in trouble with the law since a felony robbery conviction in 2000. He received a felony-assault conviction later that year.