By Kristi Belcamino
Pioneer Press
ST. MICHAEL, Minn. — An off-duty Elk River police officer and his son were shot dead Saturday night in St. Michael, Minn., and another of the officer’s sons was arrested after he called 911 saying he wanted to turn himself in, authorities say.
Police say that at 7:06 p.m. Saturday, a man called 911 from a house in the 4500 block of Mayfield Avenue saying he had been shot.
According to radio traffic posted on the MN Police Clips, a male caller told a 911 dispatcher that his brother shot him in the chest.
“Sounds like the phone dropped,” the dispatcher said. “I can hear him moaning or making breathing sounds. St. Michael units, I can no longer hear anything on the phone, sounds like it’s still open, though.”
When Wright County sheriff’s office deputies arrived, they found Blake Besser, 27, dead of a gunshot wound. They found Officer Todd Besser, 49, of Otsego, in the basement, also shot dead, police said in a news release Sunday.
According to the release, at 7:45 p.m. Christopher Besser, 21, of St. Michael, called 911 saying he was at the Kwik Stop gas station at 318 W. Broadway in Monticello and wanted to turn himself in. When deputies arrived, he was taken into custody without incident, police said.
According to the radio traffic posted on MN Police Clips, when Christopher Besser called 911 he was calm, waiting for police to arrive, and mentioned hurting his father.
“He stated that he also did injure his father,” a dispatcher told police, according to the radio traffic.
“He states he’s going to stay at the store ... he says the weapons are at the residence, he states that he does not have any weapons on him, he is calm and he is waiting for you to arrive.”
Investigators are categorizing the shootings as “a domestic situation” and say no other suspects are being sought.
Blake Besser and Christopher Besser lived at the house. Another son lives elsewhere.
Elk River Mayor John Dietz said Todd Besser was a “highly decorated officer” who had been with the department for 16 years, most of it as a patrol officer. For the past four years, Besser has worked as a school liaison officer in the Elk River school district, he said.
Dietz said Todd Besser was very involved in the community and was well-respected.
“We are still in a state of shock,” Dietz said Sunday night. “This is the first officer killed in the history of the Elk River Police Department.”
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