Sheriff: 21-Year-Old Arrested After Stealing St. Louis Co. Deputy's Squad Vehicle, Leading Authorities On Pursuit

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 21-year-old Hibbing man is in jail, accused of stealing a deputy's squad vehicle and fleeing authorities in St. Louis County Monday evening.

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, a deputy left a squad vehicle running outside the county courthouse in Virginia, believing it to be locked.

"A short time later, it was discovered the squad car had been stolen," the sheriff's office said in a release.

Using GPS, the stolen squad car was located as it was being driven through Virginia. A Virginia police officer located the stolen squad vehicle on Southern Drive and attempted to pull over the suspect.

The suspect, however, refused to stop and led the officer on a pursuit. At one point, the suspect brandished a firearm out of the driver's window and eventually threw or dropped it out of the window. Officers were able to retrieve it and determined it was a shotgun from the stolen squad.

Deputies with St. Louis County also assisted in the pursuit, which continued northbound towards the city of Tower.

The sheriff's office says a deputy executed a PIT maneuver on the vehicle on Highway 169 in Pike Township, and the pursuit ended. The suspect, who was the only occupant of the vehicle, was taken into custody.

While there were no injuries, authorities say that the squad vehicle sustained heavy damage.

WCCO does not typically name suspects until they have been formally charged with a crime.