Sheriff's deputy strikes, kills 84-year-old man

ST. MICHAEL, Minn. (WCCO) — The tiny Minnesota metropolis of St. Michael is mourning the nonaccomplishment of a beloved assemblage member.

Harold Welter, 84, was deed by a Wright County Sheriff’s lawman conveyance successful his driveway Thursday nighttime arsenic the lawman was responding to a aesculapian emergency. The Minnesota State Patrol says roadworthy conditions were snowy and icy astatine the clip of the crash.

“If you grew up successful St. Michael arsenic I did, everybody would person known Harry Welter,” said St. Michael Historical Society Board Member Bob Zahler.

Zahler says Welter was a long-time progressive committee subordinate of the St. Michael Historical Society and a St. Michael Lion for astir 50 years. He was besides a metropolis assembly subordinate for 10 years, and served arsenic politician for 4 years.

Welter’s work to the assemblage extends adjacent further. He was a firefighter astatine the St. Michael Volunteer Fire Department for 23 years, from 1969 to 1999.

“Harry was a idiosyncratic precise committed to his community, precise committed to his family, and surely and a man successful each consciousness of the word,” Zahler said. “I’m definite that radical volition retrieve Harry arsenic that affable man who had the involvement of St. Michael ever successful mind.”

The authorities patrol identified the lawman arsenic 37-year-old Dustin Hatzenbeller of Otsego. In a statement, Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer says his bureau and “Deputy Hatzenbeller person cooperated afloat with the State Patrol successful their investigation.” Hatzenbeller has been placed connected paid administrative leave.

The authorities patrol volition beryllium starring the probe connected the petition of the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.

The City of St. Michael released this connection precocious Sunday afternoon:

Lifelong nonmigratory and erstwhile Mayor and St. Michael Council Member, Harold (Harry) Welter, passed distant precocious past week. He service connected the St. Michael Fire Department for 23 years, was portion of the St. Michael Lions Club for adjacent to 50 years, wherever helium served 4 presumption arsenic president. Welter besides served connected the St. Michael City Council for 10 years from 1977- 1987, past 4 years arsenic Mayor, from 1987 – 1991. He besides volunteered to cleanable the Great River Regional Library astatine the Colonial Mall for escaped successful the aboriginal 2000s. He was a existent nationalist servant and volition beryllium greatly missed by the St. Michael community.

Kirsten Mitchell