By Grace Jacobson / News Director

ST. MICHAEL, Minn. — Wright County Sheriff’s Deputy Austin Feenstra will not face criminal charges for the death of the 67-year-old St. Michael man that he shot during a traffic stop.

On Friday, June 21, Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes concluded his review of the officer-involved shooting on March 2, 2024, that happened when the man Feenstra stopped got out of his car and confronted him with a nine-inch metal rod refusing to comply with commands.

The investigation determined Feenstra’s use of deadly force was authorized and justified as he was “in immediate risk of being killed or greatly harmed by the man who was about to stab him with an object Deputy Feenstra reasonably believed to be a knife.”

According to squad cam footage, the man was within five feet of Feenstra, lunging toward him with the rod intending to stab him.

Attorney Lutes said, “The man’s behavior placed Deputy Feenstra in a position where he had no choice other than using deadly force.”

The incident was investigated by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Force Investigation Unit led by Senior Special Agent Sean Mooney.