Man dies a day after exchange of gunfire with St. Paul police officer

A man who was shot in the head during an exchange of gunfire with a St. Paul police officer died early Friday, the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner determined that Brandon Daleshaun Keys, 24, from the eastern suburb of Maplewood, died of the gunshot wound he sustained in Thursday afternoon’s shootout.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the officer who shot him as Michael Tschida, who was struck in the leg but was treated and released Thursday night. Tschida has 14 years of law enforcement experience and is on standard administrative leave, the BCA said in a statement.

Police said Thursday night that the shooting happened after a woman called 911 and said a man was following her, violating a restraining order she had obtained against him.

The BCA said its preliminary investigation found that the woman was driving with a man in her passenger seat when Keys pulled up behind her and started ramming her vehicle with his. She told police that Keys had a gun. When she stopped, Keys got out of his car and approached her vehicle.

Tschida arrived, got out of his squad car and ordered Keys to get on the ground, the BCA said.

St. Paul Police Sgt. Mike Ernster said at a news conference Thursday night that Keys fired first, before Tschida returned fire. They were taken to Regions Hospital. Neither the woman nor her passenger were hurt, the BCA said, and crime scene personnel recovered a handgun from the scene.

There were several witnesses, the BCA said, and the shooting was captured on a number of video cameras including Tschida’s body-worn camera.

Once the investigation is complete, the BCA said, it will present its findings without a charging recommendation to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. The bureau says its goal is to complete such investigations within 60 days.