Stillwater Mom Speaks Out After Son Is Shot, Killed By Police

STILLWATER, MN — A family in the east metro is grieving after a 22-year-old was shot and killed while suffering a mental health crisis in Stillwater late last month. Keaton James Larson, 22, was shot after police responded to a call about a suicidal male in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, according to authorities.

Stillwater police said Larson was armed with a knife when officers encountered him at a home on the 1200 block of 4th Street South at 1 a.m. Officers tried using Tasers three times, but they were ineffective, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

An officer then shot Larson. He was transported to Lakeview Hospital and later pronounced dead.

The man's mother, Tessa Andrews, says her son "did not deserve to die in his cry for help." She's now calling for better police crisis intervention training.

"No more deadly force on mental health and welfare dispatch calls," she told Patch in an email. "Use non-lethal means. Failed [tase] attempts on the part of officers does not mean to shoot and kill anyone!"

"Police should not be trained to use deadly force in mental health crisis situations," she adds.

"Use mace, tear gas, tranquilizer, even a blow dart, or a cold beer. It is time to do something different and to humanize people in a mental health crisis. Relate with the person on a human level. Do not treat them like a criminal or an animal."

Stillwater Police Chief John Gannaway told Patch in an email Tuesday that the department's officers do receive training in responding to mental health incidents.

"Some have attended training directly related to the subject, and when we put on our use of force training, our instructors directly address the topic and include it in scenarios."

According to a Washington Post database, Larson was the fourth fatal police shooting in Minnesota this year that involved mental health. Two of those four shootings occurred in Washington County.

In April, the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union called for more mental health and crisis response resources following a fatal officer-involved shooting in Lake Elmo, a town just seven miles from Stillwater.

"Officers are simply not the most qualified people to respond to a mental health crisis," ACLU-MN Executive Director John Gordon said in a statement.

"We have to spend a lot more money on alternatives like mobile crisis units and community-based crisis services. And we should not be diverting money to expanding police forces that is needed for mental health and crisis response resources. We should be focused on reducing the number of people experiencing crises in the first place."

As Patch previously reported, Washington County deputies were responding to a 911 call of a suicidal man just after midnight on April 12 when they found Benjamin William Evans, 23, armed with a handgun near the intersection of Lake Elmo Avenue and 34th Street North.

A deputy shot the man after non-lethal ammunition failed. Evans was transported to Regions Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"We shouldn't have to wait for police to kill another person in crisis to see meaningful reform," Gordon said in April.

In Larson's case, the BCA is conducting the investigation. When complete, the BCA will turn its findings over to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review.

A GoFundMe page has been established to raise money for Larson's mother.

Tessa told Patch she will remember her son "by talking about Keaton’s life and his dreams."

"Additionally, I will continue to speak up about mental health issues and crisis intervention needs."

A memorial service will be held Friday. Read the obituary for Keaton Larson here.

Note: Original article was updated to correct the name of Keaton's mother, Tessa Andrews

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