Officer injured, suspect dies by suicide after chase in southern Minnesota
WEST CONCORD, Minn. — A southern Minnesota police officer was injured during an attempted traffic stop Sunday evening, and during a subsequent pursuit, the suspect died by suicide, authorities said.
According to the Dodge County Sheriff's Office, the suspect "swerved towards" a West Concord police officer's squad car on Highway 56 around 7:40 p.m. The suspect then pulled into a gas station, turned around and "aggressively drove towards the squad car," the sheriff's office said.
"I just don't know what was in his head and what he was doing and what his intentions were," said West Concord Police Chief Shannon Boerner. "I just know he caught the attention of my officer who proceeded to investigate, and it went downhill from there."
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Back on Highway 56, the officer tried to pull the suspect over. The driver then reversed into the squad car, disabling it and setting off the airbags, which injured the officer, according to the sheriff's office.
A citizen followed the suspect vehicle, the sheriff's office said, and with their help, Dodge County deputies found it and gave pursuit. Other agencies also joined in the chase.
The pursuit ended in the parking lot of the Mayo Clinic Health System hospital in Cannon Falls, where the suspect died by suicide, according to the sheriff's office and the Cannon Falls Police Department.
"There were no firearms discharged by law enforcement," the sheriff's office said.
The hospital was briefly in lockdown.
The West Concord officer was hospitalized and is now recovering at home.
Mental Health Resources
If you or someone you know is in crisis, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.