By David Hanners
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A Minneapolis Park Police officer chasing a suspect was struck and injured by a police squad car this afternoon.
Police refused to identify the officer or say what his condition was, but he was undergoing medical treatment at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale after the incident.
“We’re not releasing any of that information right now,” said Sgt. Jesse Garcia III, a spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department. He said the refusal was based on the wishes of the officer’s family.
He added that, contrary to earlier claims attributed to Chief of Police Tim Dolan, the injured policeman was not in serious condition.
“The chief said it was a very serious matter at this point, not that he was in serious condition,” Garcia said.
Lt. Rob Goodsell, supervisor of the uniform patrol for the park police, did not immediately return calls. Similarly, a spokesman for North Memorial did not return calls.
The incident happened a bit after noon, Garcia said. Police got a call claiming shots had been fired in the vicinity of 27th Avenue North and Irving Avenue North in the city’s Jordan neighborhood.
When officers arrived, they began following a car leaving the area, he said, adding that “a short, slow pursuit ensued.”
The driver of the suspect car crashed the vehicle into a yard. Garcia said he didn’t know how many people were in the car, but they got out and began running. At least two people were taken into custody.
The foot chase went through some yards and an alley, and when one officer, assigned to the park police, crossed into an alley, he was hit by a marked Minneapolis Police Department squad car and injured.
“We’re not sure exactly the details of how the squad car was in position or how it was moving,” said Garcia.
The driver and passenger of the police car — whom Garcia also declined to identify — have been placed on administrative leave, which he said is standard policy when an officer is injured.
He said it appeared no one had been injured in the original “shots fired” police call.
Copyright 2007 St. Paul Pioneer Press