Star Tribune
Crookston officer who killed man in homeless shelter ID’d as same officer who killed man in May
CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Crookston police officer who shot and killed a man at a homeless shelter last week also fatally shot a man six weeks earlier, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Nick Gunner Fladland, 31, was identified by the BCA as the officer who used deadly force June 30 against Christopher Ryan Junkin, 44, of California, who died of multiple gunshot wounds at the Care and Share shelter.
“He was crying out for help, and he got killed in return,” said Junkin’s nephew Bobby Rodriguez in a phone call Wednesday from San Luis Obispo, Calif.
“I’m all for backing the blue. I respect police officers. I respect everyone who puts their life at risk for us citizens, man. This is not just, you know, F the cops situation… But the way my uncle got shot and killed like that was just totally uncalled for. It’s really hard. We’re all trying to wrap our head around it.”
Fladland, who has five years of law enforcement experience, is on critical leave. He was also placed on critical leave following the May 16 fatal shooting of Andrew Scott Dale, 35, of Crookston, while responding to reports of him wielding a hatchet.
It’s unclear how long such leave lasts, but the deadly shootings were 45 days apart. The BCA said each police department has its own leave policy and the agency deferred to Crookston police for answers. Messages on this to the department were not returned and the police chief didn’t respond to multiple interview requests.
Mayor Dale Stainbrook declined to say whether he believes Flandland should’ve been back on duty after the first shooting, or if he should remain on the force after killing two civilians.
“It was two isolated incidents. Granted, it happened within weeks of each other, but like I said, we haven’t had anything like this as long as I can remember and I grew up in this town,” Stainbrook said in a phone interview.
Rodriguez said it’s no question that Fladland returned to duty too soon and he should not be on the force.
“We truly believe [Fladland] should have never been off leave after killing that other young man, Andrew,” he said. “I don’t think he should have been back on duty within a short matter of time after taking another young man’s life dealing with a mental health crisis.”
The BCA said in a news release that Fladland first deployed his Taser before firing his department handgun.
Officer Corey Rich, with two years of experience, and Polk County deputy April Hansen also deployed Tasers. Hansen has 14 years experience, according to the BCA, and she also used a chemical irritant.
Law enforcement responded to reports of men allegedly fighting at a homeless shelter. When they arrived, the BCA said they made contact with Junkin, who was allegedly breaking items inside the shelter. Junkin ignored their verbal commands and followed officers as they backed down a hallway, the BCA said.
But Junkin’s roommate at the shelter, Robert Fox, told Valley News Live that he disputes the police account of the incident. Fox said he told officers: “This is a mental health issue, it’s not a fight, I don’t want to press charges,” the Fargo TV station reported.
The officers and deputies were wearing body cameras that captured portions of the incident. The BCA is reviewing this footage as part of an ongoing investigation.
Rodriguez said Junkin’s family viewed the body camera video and he doesn’t believes the shooting was justified. He said his uncle was naked, unarmed and in crisis.
“My uncle didn’t do anything to those officers for his life to be taken,” he said.
Junkin, a father of four was a father figure to Rodriguez. He said his uncle moved to Minnesota for a girl, spent some time living in Minneapolis and fell on hard times in Crookston. The family didn’t know he was living at the shelter because Rodriguez said Junkin’s wasn’t one to ask for help — he helped others.
In April, Junkin was charged with first-degree damage to property in Hennepin County. According to the charges, he was at the Mall of America in Bloomington on July 24, 2023 when surveillance shows him throwing a planter over the fourth floor balcony. Junkin is accused of trying to force entry into a closed restaurant and causing nearly $5,000 in damage to the door.
He has no other criminal history in Minnesota, but there are two civil cases involving him and another woman who filed a harassment and domestic abuse restraining order against Junkin last year.
As for the May 16 fatal shooting of Dale, Police Chief Darin Selzler said Dale “rapidly approached” police, who initially used less-lethal measures to stop him.
Two police officers and a Polk County sheriff’s deputy fired at Dale after responding to a 911 call. Officers encountered him swinging a hatchet in the streets shortly before 1 a.m. in a residential area near the Polk County Government Center.
The BCA said officer Alex Rudnik first deployed his Taser and deputy Matt Benge fired 40-millimeter foam rounds. Fladland fired his department handgun, striking Dale several times.
Junkin’s family started an online fundraiser to help cover costs of cremation and to bring him back home to California.
“He always had a big heart and gave the best bear hugs,” wrote niece Amanda Elliott. “He will truly be missed. We, as a family, just want to bring Chris home.”
Star Tribune staff writers Paul Walsh and Louie Krauss contributed to this story.
Some take him up on it and fret when he’s not around.
“It is nice to be missed and be part of the school’s culture,” Arzola said. But mostly, he added, he wants kids to know that police aren’t around just for when the bad stuff happens. He’ll hand out his stickers and bracelets, even a trading card bearing his image. Then, they’ll talk about dogs and family.
School resource officer Al Arzola talks to students in his office at John Adams Middle School in Rochester on Oct. 11. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Two months ago, Rochester played host to a three-day training session for new SROs from across the state — an event organized by the Minnesota School Safety Center. On the final day, the 26 officers learned about surveillance challenges at the other school where Arzola works: Dakota Middle School.
It is a beautiful building with a scenic view. There is a lot of glass, too. Arzola, handling the role of instructor and tour guide, took the group outside and noted how one could look straight through the entrance to the large groups that gather inside. There were no curbs in front, either.
“There is nothing stopping any vehicle whatsoever from going through my front doors,” Arzola told the officers. “Law enforcement wasn’t talked to before this building was made. It was kind of like, ‘Here it is. You’re the SRO. Do what you do.’”
He showed them his office, too, which is separate from the main office and near those of other school support staff members. That makes sense, said Jenny Larrive, SRO coordinator for the Minnesota School Safety Center, given than SROs spend more time connecting with youth than on actual law enforcement.
“The basic rule in Minnesota is you cannot preemptively post law enforcement at a polling place,” he said. “A city can’t say, ‘Wow, Precinct Two, there’s a lot of intensity there, let’s just put a cop at the door.’”
Simon doesn’t go deep into the details on security, though. “I don’t want to give a total road map to the bad guys,” he said.
But testimony at the Capitol last year on behalf of the new law bolstering protections for election and polling place workers indicated there’s room for concern. One election worker was followed to her car by an angry voter; the head of elections in another county was called repeatedly on her home phone during off hours, and an official was lunged at by an aggrieved voter, forcing her to call the local sheriff.
Those who violate the law could now face civil damages and penalties of up to $1,000 for each violation.
The Brennan Center survey indicated more than four in 10 election leaders were concerned about recruiting enough poll workers due to threats of harassment and intimidation. This includes doxing — publishing a person’s personal information online in a threatening manner — and swatting, fake emergency calls that result in an armed response being sent to someone’s home.
“Election officials are working to prepare for everything right now,” said Liz Howard, director of partnership engagement at the Brennan Center. “More than 90% of election officials have made improvements to election security since 2020.”
Star Tribune
Daylight saving time ends next weekend. This is how to prepare for the potential health effects
The good news: You will get a glorious extra hour of sleep. The bad: It’ll be dark as a pocket by late afternoon for the next few months in the U.S.
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time next Sunday, Nov. 3, which means you should set your clock back an hour before you go to bed. Standard time will last until March 9 when we will again ”spring forward” with the return of daylight saving time.
That spring time change can be tougher on your body. Darker mornings and lighter evenings can knock your internal body clock out of whack, making it harder to fall asleep on time for weeks or longer. Studies have even found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March time change.
”Fall back” should be easier. But it still may take a while to adjust your sleep habits, not to mention the downsides of leaving work in the dark or trying exercise while there’s still enough light. Some people with seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression usually linked to the shorter days and less sunlight of fall and winter, may struggle, too.
Some health groups, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology.
Most countries do not observe daylight saving time. For those that do — mostly in Europe and North America — the date that clocks are changed varies.
Two states — Arizona and Hawaii — don’t change and stay on standard time.
Here’s what to know about the twice yearly ritual.
