Family has identified the man who was shot by police Friday in his Crystal home.
Ronald L. Klitzka was shot after he fired at least one weapon at officers just after 6:30 p.m. in the 5000 block of Angeline Avenue N., authorities said. Klitzka, who was in his early 60s, died at the scene.
"I lost 2 important people in my life in 4 days," a niece, Brenda Lewis, wrote on Facebook in reference to not only Klitzka's death but also the death of his 57-year-old brother, Frederick Klitzka III, a few days earlier. "Rip Freddy & Ronnie ... Why ... why ... why????"
Another niece, Wanda, followed up on Facebook and wrote, "I'm at an absolute loss of words!!!! How does this even happen to a family???"
Police Chief Stephanie Revering and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said in a news media briefing Friday night that Crystal officers, backed up by officers from New Hope and Robbinsdale police, responded to a 911 call about a suicidal man at 5:06 p.m.
They tried to make contact with the man. When they did, he fired at police and they fired back, they said.
According to police emergency dispatch audio, a 911 caller reported that a man was in the house holding two guns to his head. The man said that if police came to the house, he would shoot them through a door and blow the house up, according to the audio.
When officers arrived, he refused to leave the house or put down the weapons, the audio continued. Officers quickly locked down or evacuated nearby homes.
