Twin Cities officer "accidentally" shoots gun after stopping fleeing driver, police say

A Twin Cities officer "accidentally" fired their gun while approaching a suspect vehicle during a traffic stop, police said.

The Inver Grove Heights Police Department said officers tried to stop the vehicle near South Street and Sixth Avenue South around 3:40 a.m., but the driver fled.

Another officer later found and pulled over the vehicle, at which point the driver ran away, according to police.

While the officer was approaching the driver's side window, they "accidentally fired a single shot into the vehicle's tire," the department said.

"This shot was not directed at anyone, and no one was found to be in the vehicle or in its immediate vicinity," police said.

The fleeing driver was found nearby after falling over a fence and getting injured. They were taken to a local hospital. Police said they will face charges.

The department said it will review the shooting "per standard operating procedure."