BCA identifies man shot in Clarkfield standoff
CLARKFIELD — Investigators have identified the man shot by law enforcement during a standoff in the Clarkfield area last weekend. Kasey Paul Willander, 27, of Clarkfield was hospitalized at Hennepin County Medical Center. On Thursday, Willander was in stable condition and expected to survive, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said in a news release.
A criminal complaint filed Friday charged Willander with first degree burglary, alleging Willander broke into a relative’s home and took a firearm on the day of the standoff.
A total of eight law enforcement officers shot at Willander, including officers from the Big Stone County, Meeker County, Big Stone County, and Redwood County Sheriff’s Offices, a Willmar Police sergeant, and a Glenwood Police officer, the BCA said.
The BCA is investigating the use of force in the incident, and the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office is investigating other parts of the incident. As part of the investigation, the BCA will receive body camera footage related to the standoff.
On September 14, the Yellow Medicine Sheriff’s Office received a call for a welfare check on Willander at a Clarkfield address, the criminal complaint said. Willander was allegedly acting strangely and had a bow and arrow and knife, the complaint said.
While deputies were responding, they learned Willander had left the first address, and was now outside a rural Clarkfield residence with a firearm, the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office said earlier this week. As deputies evacuated people from the house, Willander pointed a long gun at them, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Willander fled inside the house, and a standoff involving sheriff’s deputies and members of area SWAT teams went through the night and into the morning of Sept. 15. Willander shot at law enforcement, and law enforcement shot and struck Willander at least two times, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office.
The BCA identified two officers as discharging their firearms in the incident: Deputy Michael Lamee of the Big Stone County Sheriff’s Office, and a Meeker County sheriff’s deputy. The BCA said it was withholding the name of the Meeker County deputy, because he works undercover.
Both officers are on critical incident leave, the BCA said.
The BCA also identified four officers as firing less-lethal 40 mm rounds: Willmar Police Sgt. Ross Livingood, Glenwood Police Officer Steve Nagel, Big Stone County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Darrell Thompson, and Redwood County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Mitch Zimmerman. Two officers, Meeker County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tim Oster and Meeker County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Ryan Schultz, fired non-lethal pepper ball rounds, the BCA said.



