Man leads police on chase, threatens officers with bow after cutting off ankle bracelet in Breckenridge gas station

BRECKENRIDGE, Minn. – A 54-year-old man is behind bars after cutting off his electronic monitoring device, getting into a police chase, then drawing a hunting bow on officers in far western Minnesota.  

Breckenridge police say a 911 call came in at about 7 a.m. Saturday about a suspicious person at a gas station in town. Security camera video shows the suspect cut off his ankle bracelet inside the store, before he leaves and drives off in a pickup truck.

A short time later, police spotted his truck and a chase ensued, involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Officers with the Wahpeton Police Department in North Dakota even deployed stop sticks at one point, unsuccessfully. The man eventually crashed into a street sign.

Police say he got out of the truck holding a bow, and officers fired less-lethal bean bag rounds at him. The man was arrested and taken to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He is being held Saturday night at the Wilkin County Jail.

Police say no officers were hurt in the chase and confrontation, but investigators believe the suspect's "mental health does appear to be a factor."

WCCO-TV does not typically name suspects until they are formally charged.
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For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.