Posted on 09/19/2016 8:06:18 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
Officer Jason Falconer was off duty when he stopped the stabbing attack at Crossroads Center in St. Cloud on Saturday.
He is receiving a lot of attention and praise for his bravery by the community, Gov. Mark Dayton and President Barak Obama.
Both spoke to Falconer on the phone Monday. President Obama said, "We are very grateful no one lost their life. Thanks to the brave action of the off-duty officer, the suspect was killed and we avoided more people being hurt."
While Falconer, the part-time officer with the Avon Police Department and former police chief in another town, isn't ready to talk publicly just yet, he did talk with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reporter Beth McDonough at his other job, Tactical Advantage in Waite Park. Falconer is an expert in firearms training and a competitive shooter. He is a member of the US Practical Shooter's Association.
When asked what he was doing at the mall on a Saturday night, Falconer smiled and answered, "Buying my son's birthday present."
He said the gift made it home despite what happened next.
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis described what he saw on surveillance footage from inside Macy's.
"The officer then fired a round, a few rounds, you see him, the suspect, get back up. Again, he was fired upon, you see him fall, you see him get back up. Three times, and then, even after that, he was still attempting to get back up again. Well then, the officer fired the fatal blow."
When asked if he was shooting to wound or shooting to kill, Falconer firmly said, "Shooting to stop the threat." He said that phrase twice.
Falconer said he's not going to talk publicly about the incident until the investigation is over.
Ironically, I bet he teaches two to the chest and one to the head, like most instructors do.
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