St. Paul Cop Fires Gun At Car Thief Who Drove At Fellow Officer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – St. Paul police say an officer responding to a stolen vehicle call early Tuesday morning fired at a vehicle after the suspect drove at a fellow officer.

The St. Paul Police Department says the shooting happened around 2 a.m. in an alley near the intersection of Winter Street and Capitol Boulevard North, just blocks from the Minnesota State Capitol.

The officers were investigating a stolen vehicle call and had stopped a car in the alley. When the driver of the car drove at one officer, the other officer fired at the vehicle.

The officer who was the target of the car thief suffered minor injuries, police say. Both officers were wearing body cameras. Police did not specify if the devices were activated.

Shortly after the shooting, police found the stolen car abandoned on the 700 block of Prior Avenue. Officers began searching for the driver, who is believed to have left the shooting unharmed.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the officer-involved shooting. Per procedure, both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.