Police Camped In Jordan, In Pursuit Of Suspect In SLP Shootout
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Police were camped outside a Jordan, Minnesota, home late Tuesday night, after an officer-involved shooting in St. Louis Park Tuesday morning and a day-long manhunt.
The suspect, David Michael Winters, 41, grew up in the Jordan area, and he traveled there after the incident at Byerly's.
St. Louis Park police were called at about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday to Indelco Plastics, a business on the 6500 block of Cambridge Drive, on a report of a suspicious person with a gun in a vehicle. When officers arrived, the suspect exchanged gunfire with authorities. No officers were hurt, and the suspect fled the scene in a green 2008 Honda Civic.
Witness Of Shootout Shares His Story
Trent Dore, a witness who owns Indelco Plastics, told WCCO-TV that there was so much gunfire he would be shocked if the man wasn't hit, though it did not appear any cops were hurt.
"They were yelling, 'Don't move, freeze, put your hands up," Dore said. "Everyone was just screaming, and everyone started to hear the shooting. It was loud, probably six or seven shots. ... It just kind of amazes that the guy got away for as many shots as the fired at that car."
Winters was spotted a short time later entering the Byerly's in St. Louis Park on the 3700 block of Park Center Boulevard. A massive search for Winters, who was reportedly brandishing a gun, led to the evacuation of the Byerly's. Authorities placed the store on lock down and officers were able to secure the area.
Erica Lynn Winters of Jordan was arrested Tuesday in Scott County for obstructing the legal process. She is Winters' wife, according to his stepdaughter. Her roll in the shootout and manhunt is unclear.
Winters was not located and the incident turned into a manhunt. Police said Winters should be considered armed and dangerous. He was described as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing about 192 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes and may be wounded. If you see him, call 911 immediately.
WCCO's Jennifer Mayerle said that when Winters entered the Byerly's with a gun, employees and customers alike fled out the back doors. A manager said some employees remained in the building after the evacuation, locked in a front conference room. They were safely removed from the store Tuesday afternoon and were loaded on Metro Transit buses to stay warm.
Just before 1:30 p.m., the store's general manager told employees and customers who were in their cars in the parking lot that they were allowed to leave.
A State Patrol helicopter was brought to the scene and was flying over an area in nearby Edina Tuesday afternoon. Police in Edina told WCCO's Angela Davis that a resident on the 5300 block of Lincoln called police to report that a vehicle with bullet holes was in his garage, and it wasn't his car. Police have secured the scene. They said the vehicle matched the description of a vehicle wanted in a police incident in St. Louis Park.
Northbound Highway 169 was closed at Highway 62 around 1 p.m. due to the situation. It was reopened at around 1:30 p.m., according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
Stay with WCCO-TV and WCCO.com for more on this developing story as it becomes available.