Prosecutor: Fatal shooting by St. Paul officer justified

Published 9:50 am Thursday, March 9, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS  — The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has determined a fatal shooting by a St. Paul police officer was justified.

A memo from the attorney’s office said there is significant physical, DNA and ballistics evidence that shows Eugene Smith III pointed and fired a shotgun at Joshua Raichert after the officer entered a bedroom at a St. Paul home May 26.

The memo states Raichert’s use of deadly force was “objectively reasonable” under the circumstances.

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According to a press release, a woman with Smith when he was killed told the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that he was a methamphetamine dealer, and toxicology testing showed methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system.