ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has identified the man shot by law enforcement during an active shooter incident on Saturday in Minneapolis. Nathan Mellstrom Matz, age 40, of Minneapolis remains hospitalized in stable condition at HCMC. He is expected to survive.

The Minneapolis police officer who fired his weapon has also been identified. Minneapolis Police Sergeant Ben Bauer discharged his rifle, striking Matz. Bauer has been in law enforcement for 12 years. He remains on standard critical incident leave.

According to the BCA’s preliminary investigation, Minneapolis police officers went to 4052 Minnehaha Avenue shortly before 10 p.m. on Sept. 6 in response to reports of a man walking outside with a shotgun. Officers did not locate anyone meeting that description at the time.

Shortly before 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 7, officers returned to the same address in response to 911 calls about an active shooter who was firing a rifle both inside and outside of the apartment building at that address.

Officers spotted the subject, now identified as Matz, in a stairwell with an AK-47 rifle in his hands.

At one point, Sgt. Bauer, discharged his rifle once, striking Matz. Officers moved Matz from the building and provided medical aid until paramedics transported him to the hospital. No one else was injured during the incident.

BCA personnel processed the scene and identified gunshot damage within the apartment building and to homes and vehicles outside of the building. Investigators believe these were from rounds fired by Matz. A handgun was also located in the stairwell near where Matz was located.

The BCA investigation is in its early stages. Once the investigation is complete the BCA will provide its findings without recommendation to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review.

###

Settlement secures roughly $100,000 in refunds for dozens of immigrants who paid for legal services not properly rendered.

(SAINT PAUL) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, announced a settlement that includes refunds to dozens of clients, many of them Somali or Ethiopian, who had retained immigration legal services by Daniel Patrick Brown, and DPB Legal, PLLC (collectively “DPB Legal”). Between 2021 and 2023, DPB Legal accepted 100 clients who were seeking asylum in the U.S. so that they would not be deported. When representing the clients DPB Legal provided many of them an incorrect representation regarding when they would be eligible to receive a work authorization permit.

Under immigration law, an asylum applicant is generally eligible to apply for work authorization 150 days after filing their asylum petition, which allows for lawful work while the applicant waits for the long immigration process to conclude. However, DPB Legal informed its clients, after collecting their retainer payments, that their 150-day clock would actually begin ticking down upon the filing of only a partial application (the first 3 pages of the 12-page form). When clients learned that DPB Legal had misinformed them, many terminated services but were not provided a refund by DPB Legal. They then had to start their asylum process over again with a new lawyer which caused strain, lost time, missed work opportunities, and additional expense.

The order approved by a Ramsey County state court requires DPB Legal to cease and refrain from making any misstatements to asylum clients and prospective asylum clients, including, but not limited to, misstatements about when an asylum applicant is eligible to apply for or receive a work authorization permit. The order also provides for refunds for former and current clients which will amount to approximately $100,000.

“I am pleased that DPB Legal has now agreed to refund clients who were misinformed about the asylum process,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s what we do in those moments of recognizing our errors that matters the most. We appreciate Mr. Brown’s cooperation.”

Consumers who are considering hiring an attorney can refer to the Attorney General’s “Hiring an Attorney” publication: Hiring an Attorney. Consumers who wish to report concerns about their attorneys may contact the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility at (651) 296-3952 or (800) 657-3601 and www.lprb.mncourts.gov.

Attorney General Ellison urges Minnesota consumers to report their consumer complaints by submitting a complaint online. Minnesotans can also contact the Attorney General’s Office by phone at (651) 296-3353 (Metro), (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota), or (800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).

# # #

CNBC study ranks Minnesota sixth in the nation based on 128 indicators

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced that Minnesota is ranked sixth in the nation for business, according to a recent CNBC study. Minnesota’s ranking is based on 128 key indicators in 10 categories of competitiveness, including workforce, infrastructure, economy, quality of life, and business friendliness. Minnesota was also recently ranked the best state for independent retailers, according to a B2B Reviews study, and earlier this week, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was named the best U.S. airport in 2024 by Travel + Leisure.

“These rankings are a testament to our focus on investing in key areas that make our businesses and economy strong: job training, workforce development, child care, and broadband access,” said Governor Walz. “Businesses in top industries, from health care to renewable energy and manufacturing, understand the benefits of investing and growing in Minnesota.”

This ranking comes as the Governor recently celebrated a $24 million investment in job training and economic development programs. Governor Walz also recently announced an over $12 million investment to train workers for high-demand employment.

Businesses in high-growth industries choose to invest in Minnesota. In June, Minnesota secured $213 million to finance Bioforge Marshall LLC, a 500,000-square-foot sustainable biomanufacturing facility in Marshall, Minnesota. In May, Governor Walz celebrated Polar Semiconductor’s historic $525 million investment to expand their Bloomington facility. Last winter, the Governor celebrated Mayo Clinic’s $5 billion expansion in downtown Rochester.

###