Man shot, killed by Dakota County deputy ID'd

Authorities on Sunday identified a man who was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy at his house in Lakeville after he allegedly fired at law officers.

Kent R. Kruger, 36, was shot multiple times late Friday morning and died moments later, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office.

The Dakota County deputy shot Kruger after police officers arrived at the home about three-fourths of a mile northeast of Lakeville High School to serve an emergency order for protection.

Kruger appeared with a gun within seconds of the officers entering the residence at about 11:40 a.m., the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. After Kruger was shot, police performed lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured.

Kruger had a warrant at the time filed on Wednesday for fourth-degree assault in August 2018 on a police officer because he missed a Feb. 12 court date, Sheriff Tim Leslie said Sunday.

The order for protection also included a demand that he vacate the home, where his mother also lived, according to property records.

Emergency dispatch audio captured the immediate aftermath of the shooting at the home, a yellow rambler in the 20800 block of Italy Avenue.

The Sheriff's Office statement pointed out that "law enforcement officers place their lives in danger every day to protect the public and enforce the law. In this situation, [Kruger] could have taken the lives of deputies, officers or the public with his decision to open fire. Absent the actions of the deputy, others could have been injured or killed."

Identities of the officers involved will be released "once the first round of interviews [with them] is complete," said Bruce Gordon, spokesman for the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which is heading up the investigation. In the meantime, the deputies and officers involved in this incident has been placed on standard administrative leave with pay.

Along with the assault case, Kruger's criminal history in Minnesota spans nearly his entire adult life and includes convictions for underage drinking and driving, possessing marijuana while driving, disorderly conduct, and various traffic violations that include driving after having his license revoked.

Kruger's death is the first in the state this year involving a confrontation with law enforcement. According to a Star Tribune database, there were 14 fatal police encounters last year.