Officer Cleared of Wrongdoing in Fatal Crystal Shooting

CRYSTAL, Minn. (AP) _ A New Hope police officer who shot an armed man in Crystal a year ago has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says an investigation determined Officer Benjamin Harty was justified in fatally shooting 62-year-old Ronald Klitzka on Nov. 11, 2017.

Officers from Crystal, New Hope and Robbinsdale had responded to a report of a suicidal man. Freeman says Klitzka fired his gun at least twice while police were trying to diffuse the situation and appeared to be taking aim at Harty when he was shot.

Harty is a sniper on the New Hope SWAT unit. He shot Klitzka once in the head. Officers found three handguns near Klitzka.

No officers were hurt.