Saint Paul, Minnesota — On February 11, 2023, around 5 p.m., St. Paul police officers responded to an apartment building on reports of a man threatening residents with a knife. When they arrived, residents directed officers toward a hallway where 65-year-old Yia Xiong was located holding a knife. Xiong’s apartment door was at the end of the short hallway. Officers made verbal contact with Xiong and told him to drop the knife. Xiong did not respond, turning to unlock his apartment door and go inside.
As Xiong went inside his apartment and the door began to close, the officers kicked the door to stop it from fully shutting and ordered him to come out. They then backed away from the door and down the short hallway. Xiong opened the door and stepped into the hallway, knife still in-hand. Both officers then fired their respective weapons. First responders attempted to provide medical aid but Xiong died at the scene.
BCA crime scene personnel recovered a 16-inch traditional Hmong knife at the scene.
