Name of Cass deputy involved in shooting released

WALKER -- Cass County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Tom Burch Friday released the name of the deputy who was involved in a shooting incident May 27 in Cass Lake.

Bob Karbowski, a veteran deputy with the Cass County Sheriff's Department, was the first officer to arrive on the scene in response to a call about an alleged domestic dispute at a home in the 6800 block of 162nd Street Northwest in rural Cass Lake.

Upon arrival, he saw a 47-year-old Cass Lake man who was carrying two cased firearms, according to a statement the sheriff's department released earlier. Karbowski ordered the suspect to put down the firearms, the statement said.

The suspect allegedly threatened to shoot Karbowski and began uncasing one of the firearms. Karbowski then shot the suspect in the leg, the statement continued.

The domestic abuse suspect was transported to North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji for treatment of his leg wound, then later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Burch said hospital officials told him the suspect likely would be released from HCMC within the next few days.

Burch said the man is suspected, before the 7:12 p.m. domestic dispute emergency call, of threatening with a firearm a woman with whom he had had a significant relationship.

Burch said he expects County Attorney Earl Maus to make a decision soon on whether to file criminal charges against the Cass Lake man in relation to the domestic dispute.

Karbowski has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. Burch said this is standard law enforcement procedure. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was called to investigate the shooting. Burch said he expects that investigation to be complete within a week.