By Victor Stefanescu
Star Tribune
ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police have released dash and body cam footage showing officers shoot an alleged car thief in the leg after he appeared to point a handgun at them on a highway ramp.
Elliot Vaughn, 32, of Minneapolis was shot once on Dec. 21 after he ran from an allegedly stolen vehicle on the Interstate 94 entrance ramp near downtown St. Paul , officials said.
Officers Matthew Foy and Byron Treangen III were responding to the car theft call after General Motors had tracked a stolen Buick Envista to the city.
Footage released Wednesday, Dec. 31, showed Vaughn and a passenger jump out of the slowly rolling Buick and run away from the officers, who pursued Vaughn in their squad car. At one point, Vaughn turned back and appeared to point a gun at the two officers.
Foy, who was driving the squad car, got out of the vehicle and fired a handgun at Vaughn several times. Treangen shot at Vaughn through the police car’s windshield as the rolling Buick struck his door.
Officers provided medical aid to Vaughn before he was taken to Regions Hospital with injuries that were not serious.
Ramsey County prosecutors have charged Vaughn with first-degree assault against a peace officer, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and theft of a motor vehicle.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said the St. Paul Police Department placed the two officers on critical incident leave. Foy has 11 years of experience, and Treangen has six.
The BCA was investigating the incident and will present its findings to the Ramsey County Attorney’s office for review.
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