by Dennis Dalman
A man who was shot during a confrontation in St. Joseph June 21 is recovering at the St. Cloud Hospital and is listed in stable condition.
On June 26, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the shooting, released more details about the incident.
Jason Patrick Cully, 38, of St. Joseph was shot by a member of the Stearns/Benton County SWAT team after he was alleged to have made threats of violence prior to the arrival of law enforcement that day, June 21.
The SWAT team member is Stearns County Deputy Tyler Thunstedt, who has been placed on standard administrative leave, as protocol requires. Thunstedt, who has eight years of law-enforcement experience, allegedly fired his department rifle during the incident, striking Cully.
The shooting took place at a residence in the 200 block of Able Street E. in St. Joseph. At the time, law-enforcement personnel were serving a warrant for Cully because of alleged threats of violence and a firearms case.
After Cully was struck, he was given emergency medical treatment at the scene before being rushed to the hospital. No one else at the scene was injured.
According to the BCA report, officers had received reports of Cully making threats of violence on June 20 (the day before the shooting incident). When law enforcement arrived at that residence, Cully allegedly pointed a gun at officers before running away. He then repeatedly called the police department, continuing to make threats of violence.
Those threats led to the attempt to serve the search warrant and the shooting on June 21.
