Minnesota officer Arik Matson shot in head is ‘gravely injured’

Minnesota officer Arik Matson shot in head is ‘gravely injured’.

Waseca Police officer Arik Matson is in critical but stable condition at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale after being shot in the head responding to a disturbance Monday night in Waseca. Drew Evans is the Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

“On Monday night, shortly before 8 p.m., Waseca Police officers responded to a call of a suspicious person in the backyard with a flashlight at a residence in the 900 block of Fourth Avenue Southeast. Four Waseca Police Officers responded to that area, including officer Matson. When officers arrived, they located the individual now identified as Tyler Jonovsky (age 37 from Waseca) at a neighboring property in the 900 block of Third Avenue Southeast. At one point during the encounter with him, Officer Matson was shot. Officers then shot Mr.Jonosky. Officers attended to both parties at the scene. Officer Matson was then transported by air ambulance to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. Mr. Jonovsky was also transported by air ambulance to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. Both remain hospitalized at this time.”

Evans was asked if authorities have been able to determine the circumstances of Jonosky being that location.

“It was simply a call of a suspicious individual with a flashlight at this time. We’re still piecing together why he was at that location at that time, which was not his home.”

Evans says Jonosky did have a previous criminal record

“He had an active warrant for drug-related charges. They did not know they were encountering him when they responded to the scene and we’re still piecing that together.”

Waseca Police Chief Penny Vought talks about Watson

“He has been with the Waseca Police Department since 2013. He is assigned to our patrol unit and is also a member of our south central drug investigative unit SWAT team and is our much-beloved Waseca PD DARE officer. Arik is 32 years old and is a wonderful son and a devoted husband and father. Our department members ask that our supportive community of Waseca and our law enforcement family across the state of Minnesota to please keep Arik and his family in your thoughts. As we focus on Arik, we have asked the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct the investigation into this incident.”

Vought adds this situation is something all law enforcement officers fear

“This is the worst nightmare a law enforcement agency can face and we’re living it right now.”

Evans says they are in the preliminary stages of the investigation and cannot release any further details at this time.