The death of a 75-year-old Willmar man, tased by police during an eviction, has been classified as a homicide. incident occurred on January 29th when officers attempted a court-ordered eviction. After receiving no response from Michael Yanacheak, officers entered his apartment, where he picked up a kitchen knife and advanced towards them.
In response, a Taser was deployed, causing Yanacheak to fall and hit his head on a table. Despite receiving medical attention at the scene and being taken to the hospital, Yanacheak passed away. The autopsy revealed Yanacheak’s cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head. The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave, and an investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is ongoing.