The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and Minnesota Attorney General’s Office jointly declared on Wednesday that the St. Paul police officer involved in the fatal shooting of Yia Xiong last year will not face charges.
Yia Xiong, aged 65, was shot and killed by officer Abdirahmin Dahir on February 11, 2023. The incident unfolded at the Winslow Commons apartment complex following a report of a resident wielding a knife.
Upon arrival, officers instructed Xiong to drop the knife as he attempted to retreat into his apartment. Despite their commands, Xiong proceeded inside, prompting officers to intervene by kicking the door to prevent it from closing. When Xiong reemerged into the hallway brandishing a knife, Officer Dahir discharged his weapon, while another officer, Noushue Cha, deployed a taser.
In their decision, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and Minnesota Attorney General’s Office determined that Officer Dahir’s use of lethal force was justified under Minnesota law. This conclusion comes subsequent to an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and an independent assessment by use-of-force expert Jeffrey Noble. Notably, Noble has previously evaluated similar cases involving police use of deadly force in the Twin Cities, including those of Jeronimo Yanez and Derek Chauvin.
