Police: Man Fatally Shoots Himself, Falls Onto I-494 After Confrontation With Officers In Bloomington
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Bloomington police say a man fell onto Interstate 494 Thursday evening after fatally shooting himself in the midst of a confrontation with officers on a pedestrian bridge.
Police say Bloomington and Richfield officers were called to the area of 78th Street and 2nd Avenue at about 6:15 p.m. on a report of a person with a gun. Officers made contact with the man on the bridge over I-494 near Portland Avenue, and they say he began firing his weapon towards traffic on the interstate.
A Bloomington officer fired his service weapon once at the man, who continued firing. After about 10 minutes, the man started climbing the bridge's protective fencing. Police say the man began firing his gun again while on the fence, and then fatally shot himself. He then fell onto the interstate.
The entire confrontation lasted about 15 minutes. It's not clear how many rounds the man fired before his death, or if he was struck by the officer's bullet. It's also unknown at this point in the investigation if any vehicles were hit by gunfire. Police say they've been checking with local hospitals, and do not have any confirmed injuries. No officers were hurt.
Both sides of the interstate were shut down and rerouted for a couple hours. Cars were backed up as far as Cedar Avenue to the east and Interstate 35W to the west.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation.
Anyone in need of help can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
