Man Eludes St. Paul Police After Exchanging Gunfire With At Least One Officer
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- St. Paul police are searching for a suspect, or possibly suspects, after at least one officer exchanged gunfire with a man Monday evening before a carjacking was reported nearby.
The St. Paul Police Department says the shooting happened around 6 p.m. on the city's east side. Officers were called to the 900 block of Algonquin Avenue on a report of a man suspiciously digging in a trunk. After officers tried to detain him, a scuffle broke out. The fight brought the two officers and the man to the ground.
Somehow, the man was able to break free. He then pulled out a gun and fired at officers, police say. At least one of the officers returned fire.
The man was able to escape, even after other officers responded to the scene to search for him.
Not long after, an armed carjacking was reported just blocks away, at the intersection of Stillwater Avenue East and Hazel Street North. Police are still trying to determine if the shooting suspect was involved in the carjacking.
Investigators don't believe anyone was seriously hurt in the shooting. One officer, however, suffered a dislocated finger during the scuffle. The wounded officer was treated at Regions Hospital and released.
The shooting and carjacking remain under investigation. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting; both officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure following a police shooting.