Armed man shot by Minneapolis police sentenced to six years in prison

Updated: 1 p.m. | Posted: 11 a.m.

The armed man shot by Minneapolis police in an interview room last year was sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday.

Marcus Fischer, 19, was charged in a case that unfolded on Dec. 18 when he stabbed himself several times and then was shot by officers after they said he refused to drop the knife.

Fischer pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on June 6 in Hennepin County District Court.

The case dates to Dec. 13 when police were called to an Anoka County gas station on a report of a man who had been shot.

During the course of the investigation, witnesses told detectives that the man was trying to sell a Kel-Tech 9mm handgun to Fischer near the 1400 block of 5th Street NE in Minneapolis. While in the alley, as Fischer held the handgun, he produced a weapon of his own.

He "said words to the effect of 'It's mine now,' shot the victim in the chest and left the scene" with both guns.

Officers arrested Fischer and found the alleged stolen weapon in his bedroom.

Under police questioning at Minneapolis City Hall, Fischer denied being the gunman, said he had someone else with him and just arranged the meeting with the seller.

Authorities said they checked Fischer for weapons twice before he was interviewed, but he cut himself repeatedly when police left the interview room.

Fischer hid a large folding knife in his waistband.

When officers re-entered the interview room, Fischer refused to drop the knife and the officers shot and wounded him, they said.

Hennepin County District Court Judge Gina Brandt told Fischer during his sentencing that while he committed his crimes over a six-day period, those days don't have to dictate the rest of his life.

Brandt encouraged him to take advantage of educational programs and make a new start while in prison.

"I hope we never see you in another courtroom," she said. "You have a lot of life ahead of you. No judge wants to see you back here."

Eric Fischer, father of Marcus, said he doesn't believe justice was served. Fischer said Minneapolis cops didn't have to shoot his son in the interrogation room.

"They were in no danger when they opened fired on my son," he said after the sentencing. "He was already drowning himself in blood. There's no reason two grown men couldn't have taken him down."

Fischer said he wanted his son to go to trial but his son decided on the plea deal.

"Regardless of the end of result that wasn't who he was," the father said. "He was a good student, hard worker. He was doing everything he was supposed to as a young man until he got in this situation."