Man Killed in Officer Involved Shooting Near Bowlus Identified

(KNSI) — The man shot to death by police last month near Bowlus is being identified.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says 59-year-old Charles Bangs was shot and killed by a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper and an Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Deputy on April 28th. A 51-year-old man with Bangs was also shot but is expected to survive. The two men are said to be from Fergus Falls.

The BCA says the West Central Drug Task Force looked for Bangs as part of a narcotics investigation. A trooper spotted him in a car with the 51-year-old and two other people the afternoon of the shooting in Mille Lacs County.

The trooper made a traffic stop, but Bangs allegedly refused to get out of the car and pushed them over before fleeing the scene. Police followed, and investigators say someone threw suspected methamphetamine from the vehicle during a high speed chase. Bangs eventually got away, but police say they found his vehicle near Bowlus three hours later, and he fled again. This time with the 51-year-old and another person in the car. Investigators say Bangs stopped, and “two officers discharged their firearms.”

The 51-year-old passenger was treated and booked into the Mille Lacs County jail, where they are awaiting formal charges.

The BCA says a gun was recovered from the scene, and the shooting was captured on bodycam and dashcam.

The trooper and deputy are on standard administrative leave.

KNSI is declining to name the officers as they have not been charged with any crime.

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