Gunshots were fired from a passing vehicle at two Ramsey County sheriff's deputies early Thursday during a traffic stop on a highway in Little Canada, authorities said.
The deputies were not hit and a suspect was soon arrested, the Sheriff's Office said.
The deputies were in the middle of a traffic stop along westbound Hwy. 36 west of Interstate 35E about 3 a.m. when shots came from a vehicle heading east, according to the Sheriff's Office. The deputies released the subject of the stop.
The deputies shared a description of the vehicle and the direction it fled with other law enforcement before pursuing the car, but returned to the scene "when [they] were not able to catch up," a Sheriff's Office statement read. A Maplewood police officer later spotted the suspect vehicle, which sped away but was found shortly after when it returned to the area. A suspect was arrested and a gun recovered at this scene.
Undersheriff Mike Martin said his agency is confident the gunfire was not meant for the stopped vehicle, explaining, "The shots began before the suspect would have been able to see anything but the squad lights."
Authorities have not disclosed why the shots were fired or the identity of the suspect.
