A man posing as a police officer shot and killed two Minnesota lawmakers on June 14, prompting some to wonder if they could ever find themselves in a similar situation.
When police knock on your door, you do have rights — but navigating those rights isn’t always as simple as just refusing to answer.
Experts provided answers on how to best handle a similar situation.
Here’s what Arizonans should know.
What happened in Minnesota?
On Saturday, June 14, two Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses were victims of what prosecutors called a political assassination.
Vance Boelter, 57, reportedly dressed like a police officer, down to the vest and flashlight like that of real officers, according to an affidavit filed in federal court and written by Special Agent Terry Getsch of the FBI.
According to police in the records, Boetler had a “planned campaign of stalking and violence,” according to the affidavit.
Boelter also was driving an SUV equipped with a fake “POLICE” license plate and “law enforcement-style emergency lights.”
Here’s what to do if police knock at your door
It’s understandable that someone would open the door to a police officer knocking late at night.
“You’re kind of disarmed in the middle of the night, in the fog of sleep,” said George Kirkham, a criminologist, professor emeritus at Florida State University and a former police officer, in an interview with USA TODAY.
If an officer is knocking on your door, the American Civil Liberties Union recommends talking through the door and asking for identification.
“You do not have to let them in unless they can show you a warrant signed by a judicial officer that lists your address as a place to be searched or that has your name on it as the subject of an arrest warrant,” the ACLU says.
Another immediate option presented by Minnesota police is to simply call 911.
“It is okay to remain in your vehicle or home and not open the window or door until you receive confirmation from dispatch,” the Richfield Police Department posted on Facebook June 14.
Kirkham agreed that it’s a good option, and as a former officer himself, that he wouldn’t mind waiting for such a call.
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat.
Contact reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at [email protected]. Follow him on Instagram, X, Threads and Bluesky: @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Do you have to open your door if police are knocking?
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