Fatal Confrontation During Mental Health Call, Rochester Police Shooting Under Investigation.
Investigators have identified the man fatally shot by a police officer during a tense confrontation inside a Rochester apartment last week as 47-year-old Cleavon White. The incident unfolded around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, at an apartment located along the 1900 block of Ashland Drive Northwest, drawing renewed attention to the challenges officers face when responding to mental health crises.
According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), officers from the Rochester Police Department, accompanied by a Crisis Response Team social worker, were dispatched following reports of a man experiencing a severe mental health episode. Upon arrival, they encountered White, who was described as acting erratically and exhibiting signs of paranoia. An adult woman and several children were also present inside the apartment at the time, heightening the urgency of the situation.
Authorities determined that White posed a danger to himself and others and attempted to place him on a 72-hour mental health hold for hospital evaluation. However, White refused to comply, and a struggle ensued when officers attempted to take him into custody. During the altercation, investigators say White grabbed an officer’s firearm and discharged it, prompting Officer Josiah Duit to open fire, striking White multiple times.
Officers immediately rendered aid before White was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital Saint Marys Campus, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.
The BCA is continuing its investigation, with findings to be submitted to the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office for review.
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