3:24 in the morning. A Richfield, Minnesota resident calls police about a car prowler on Morgan Avenue.
Two sergeants respond. They locate a man matching the description about a block away. They try to stop him. He runs.
Sgt. Mario Leon catches up to Desaver Brian Hollis, 27, in an apartment parking lot and attempts to take him into custody. Sgt. Kristian Schultz deploys a Taser. Leon and Hollis go to the ground. A struggle. Neither officer has a firearm drawn.
Hollis, on his back, raises a handgun and fires.
The bullet goes through Leon’s hand and strikes the Taser on his body armor. Schultz drops his Taser, draws his firearm, and opens fire. Leon — wounded — fires as well. Hollis is struck multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene.
BCA crime scene personnel recovered a handgun and spent casings.
What the Video Shows
The City of Richfield released bodycam footage publicly on May 12. The release includes raw, unedited footage from both officers’ cameras, plus an enhanced version with slow-motion and freeze frames.
Leon approaches Hollis with no firearm drawn. Hollis is on the ground with a gun in his hand. He fires at point-blank range into Leon’s hand. Schultz — also without his gun drawn at the start — reacts and returns fire. Twenty rounds total were fired by the two officers.
What the Family Is Saying
Hollis’s family has hired a national civil rights law firm. They viewed the footage before public release. Their attorneys acknowledge a weapon was present but are questioning whether twenty rounds constituted excessive force. They are also contending the released video was edited to favor the department.
Valerie Castile — mother of Philando Castile — appeared alongside the family at the BCA.
What the Record Shows
Hollis had seven convictions across three counties — Dakota, Wright, and Scott — since age 19. A probation violation stemming from a threats of violence conviction sent him back to jail for 24 days as recently as March of this year. Six weeks before this shooting, he picked up a new gross misdemeanor theft conviction in Dakota County and was sentenced to two days — credit for time already served.
He was out. He was armed. He was breaking into cars at 3 in the morning.
Where This Stands
The BCA investigation is ongoing. Findings go to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. No charges determination has been made regarding the officers. Both remain on critical incident leave.
