OLIVIA, Minn. 鈥� The Blue Earth County Attorney's Office is not recommending charges for an Olivia Police Department officer who shot and killed a man during an early morning July 4 altercation.
Officer Aaron Clouse "acted within the law in his use of deadly force," against Ricardo Torres Jr., according to a report submitted to the Renville County Attorney's Office. Torres died later that morning from gunshot wounds suffered during the incident.
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The Renville County Attorney's Office asked the Blue Earth County Attorney's Office to review the incident for criminal charges due to a perceived conflict of interest. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was the investigating agency.
While the report concludes that criminal charges are not warranted, Blue Earth County Attorney Patrick McDermott wrote that his review does not include whether Clouse's actions violated department policies or other civil or regulatory standards.
According to the report, Clouse fired four rounds at Torres, hitting him three times, after Torres pointed a shotgun at the officer in an Olivia alleyway. No video of the incident is available but Clouse did start recording from his squad vehicle after the shooting.
In his report, McDermott wrote that Clouse use of deadly force was "reasonable and justified" based on the investigative materials.
