Wadena officer shoots man

WADENA -- A Wadena police officer responding to a report of a shooting complaint early today shot an armed man who refused to comply with the officer's verbal commands, the Wadena County Sheriff's Department reported.

About 3 a.m. Wadena police officers were called to a residence in the 400 block of Fourth Street Southwest in Wadena for a report of shots being fired in the area. Three hours earlier officers had responded to a similar complaint, but were unable to locate the shooter.

Officers were given a description of the suspect vehicle, and while responding to the second call located the armed suspect.

The Wadena County Sheriff's Department, which is investigating the incident, said the officers encountered the man and ordered him to drop his gun. The suspect refused and pointed the gun at the officers, at which time an officer shot the suspect once.

The suspect, whose name wasn't released, was transported to Tri-County Hospital in Wadena and then airlifted to MeritCare Hospital in Fargo. Information on his condition was unavailable.

The name of the officer involved in the shooting also wasn't released this morning.

Assisting the sheriff's department in the investigation of the shooting is the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.