BCA IDs Gunman and Officer Involved in Fatal Stillwater Shoot Out

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Stillwater, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension this afternoon released the name of the gunmen and the police officers involved in a deadly exchange of gunfire in Stillwater.

A preliminary report from the BCA says 21-year-old Okwan Sims died after he was shot by Stillwater police in the parking lot of an apartment complex last Saturday afternoon. Officer Justin Dowley was among the officers who rushed to the property after receiving reports of gunfire inside and outside the apartment building. He and another officer located and confronted the suspect in the parking lot and Sims was fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire.

Officer Dowley fired his service rifle during a confrontation. The BCA says he has seven years of law enforcement experience and is currently on standard administrative leave. A second officer has also been placed on administrative leave. The BCA did not release his name because it remains unclear whether he fired his weapon during the shootout.

The BCA says investigators recovered a handgun at the scene, along with several extended magazines, and dozens of 9 mm shell casings.

Officer Dowley was not wearing a body camera when the shooting occurred around 2:45 PM. The BCA notes that he was not scheduled to start his shift until 3 PM and had not put his camera on when he responded to the reports of gunfire. The preliminary report says many of the other officers at the scene were wearing body cameras that recorded portions of the incident.