A routine vehicle recovery turned into an officer-involved shooting in Saint Paul on Sunday afternoon, according to a post by the Saint Paul Police Department. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is now investigating the incident that unfolded after Saint Paul police were alerted to a stolen vehicle tracked heading towards the city.
The sequence of events began around 3 p.m. when General Motors detected a vehicle reported stolen in Minneapolis traveling on I-94 toward Saint Paul. GM officials were able to remotely slow the vehicle to a halt on the westbound I-94 ramp from Highway 52 by 3:15 p.m. Once stopped, a man and woman exited the vehicle and attempted to quickly flee on foot. The male suspect, during the chase, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at pursuing officers, who then discharged their weapons, striking him once in the leg. "The man was transported to Regions Hospital to be treated for a non-life threatening injury," the department's social media update stated.
The female who was accompanying the suspect was found and arrested shortly after the incident. No officers or other individuals were harmed during the altercation. Following protocol, the BCA will now take over the investigation to comprehensively examine all the video footage captured by the officers' body cameras and other gathered evidence.
As per the department's standard procedure, the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on critical incident leave. While the identity of the male suspect has yet to be released, the Saint Paul Police noted that future inquiries and information regarding the case should be directed to the BCA. The conclusion of such incidents is always followed closely, as the public and the involved parties await the findings from the investigation to fully understand the circumstances that forced the police to eventually use their firearms.
