'It Was Just Dozens Upon Dozens Of Shots': Witness Describes Gunfire Exchange Between MPD And Suspect
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating a traffic stop that ended in an exchange of gunfire with Minneapolis Police.
On Thursday morning, officers responded to reports of a person pointing a gun at people near Logan Avenue North and Lowry Avenue North.
When police caught up with the suspected car it crashed near 37th Avenue North and Vincent Avenue North, that's when shots were exchanged.
The suspect was injured. No officers were hurt. Harry Colbert, a witness, said it all unfolded outside his home.
"It still feels so fresh it feels like it just, just happened," said Colbert.
Colbert was feeding his dog and about to start teaching his online class at North High when he heard an unusual sound.
"You could hear the police siren and it was different a siren, meaning there was more repetition to the sound of the siren," Colbert said.
Colbert did not know he was watching the end of a slow speed chase of a suspect wanted for pointing a gun at people just blocks away from his home.
"The police officers had the vehicle stopped. They were able to crack the window and at that point I heard a pop and the police officers kind of hopped and then it was just dozens upon dozens of shots after that, " Colbert said.
Colbert, a journalist and editor of North News took cover. "There was a lull, then there was more shooting, then a lull," he said.
"At one point it slowed down officers were able to transition to non-lethal weapons, " said John Elder, Director of Police Information for Minneapolis Police. He said they used non-lethal rounds, called 40 millimeter less lethal impact rounds, which he said is like shooting a bean bag.
RELATED: Man Hospitalized, Arrested After Exchanging Gunfire With Officers In North Minneapolis
Colbert watched as the suspect was taken into custody and heard him question police about the shooting.
"They were saying why did you shoot me why am I handcuffed, what's going on?," Colbert said. That's when this journalist of 20 years began recording.
The Cleveland neighborhood is no stranger to gunfire and police activity. Colbert says he is accustomed to hearing gunshots but this time, shots fired has him shaken to his core.
"You do sometime become hardened to it because you hear it and you say oh, they're shooting and you start to become like a mini-sleuth and you say oh, that was about three blocks away," said Colbert. "But this one was right directly in front of my house."
Police say weapons were visible inside the suspect's car. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives was also at the scene. The BCA is taking the lead in the investigation.