Minneapolis police arrested six people following a pursuit and standoff that began Tuesday evening as officers investigated "felony level" crimes after spotting stolen vehicles in a downtown park.
Three men and three women were detained following the chaotic evening that started near Mill Ruins Park in downtown Minneapolis and ended several hours later when police entered a residence in north Minneapolis where the suspects had fled, said police spokesman John Elder.
Two officers were injured. One was sideswiped, temporarily pinned against his squad when suspects took off from the park in a vehicle.
The second officer was knocked to the ground. Both were treated for noncritical injuries at a hospital and released, Elder said.
Police saw two vehicles pull into the park adjacent to the Stone Arch Bridge around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The vehicles matched descriptions of those that police were looking for in connection to "felony level crimes," possibly related to a carjacking earlier in the day, Elder said.
Other officers pursued the vehicles. One got away, but officers with the help of a State Patrol helicopter were able to track the other car to the area of N. 18th and Newton avenues. Suspects got out of the car and got into another car that was believed to have been stolen. The suspects took off as police attempted to stop it, Elder said.
A few blocks away, the second vehicle stopped and police saw suspects run into a residence on the 2000 block of N. Queen Avenue.
Officers set up a perimeter around the house and attempted to get the suspects to surrender. Police got a search warrant about 1 a.m., entered the house and took the suspects into custody, Elder said.
The incident came on the same day that police warned residents of south and southeast Minneapolis about a surge in robberies and carjackings. During July, police say there have been 100 robberies and 20 carjackings in the Third Precinct, with most of the crimes occurring north of E. 42nd Street.
The owner of the stolen cars told the Star Tribune that the vehicles were stolen around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday from the Fern Hill neighborhood in St. Louis Park. He had left the keys in the car, he said.
Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768
