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BCA identifies people involved in fatal shooting, stabbing

Investigation continues on domestic violence and use-of-force incidents

MARSHALL — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has released the names of the people involved in a fatal domestic violence incident and officer-involved shooting in Marshall Sunday morning. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Meredith Martell, 35, and Jamel C. Hill Moore, 41, both of Marshall.

According to the medical examiner, Moore died from gunshot wounds. The medical examiner also determined that Martell died from multiple sharp-force injuries.

The BCA also identified Officer Eric Klenken of the Marshall Police Department as the officer who shot Moore during the incident. Klenken, who has 24 years of law enforcement experience, is on standard administrative leave, the BCA said.

An investigation of the incident is ongoing. According to a preliminary investigation, Klenken responded to a domestic disturbance call at a Marshall home early Sunday morning. When he arrived, a child flagged him down and directed him into the house, the BCA said.

A woman could be heard calling for help in an upstairs bedroom, the BCA said. When Klenken entered the room, Moore was stabbing Martell as she laid on the floor of the closet, the BCA said.

Klenken ordered Moore to drop the knife, but he refused, the BCA said. Klenken tried to stun Moore with a taser, and again ordered Moore to drop the knife, without response. The BCA said Klenken shot Moore twice.

Three additional Marshall Police officers and a Lyon County Sheriff’s deputy arrived at the home and assisted Klenken with providing medical aid to Moore and Martell, the BCA said. Moore died at the scene, and Martell was taken to a Sioux Falls hospital. She died later on Sunday.

Neither Klenken nor children in the home at the time of the incident were physically hurt, the BCA said.

BCA crime scene personnel recovered two knives from the scene, the BCA said.

Klenken was wearing a body camera during the incident, the BCA said. BCA agents are reviewing the video as part of the ongoing investigation.

On Wednesday, Marshall Public Safety Director Jim Marshall said the Marshall Police Department would not be making the body camera video public. Marshall said the decision was made because the BCA has an open investigation on the incident, and because of the nature of the domestic violence in the video.

Minnesota law says that when a person dies as a result of an officer-involved shooting, the body camera data of the incident should be made public no later than 14 days after the incident. However, there are exceptions if a chief law enforcement officer says in writing that releasing the video would interfere with an ongoing investigation, or if the law enforcement agency determines the video is offensive to common sensibilities.

Once the BCA’s investigation is complete, the agency will present its findings to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office for review. The BCA does not make recommendations for charges as part of its use-of-force investigations.

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