Fugitive arrested after leading law enforcement on chase in Anoka County

A portion of Highway 65 in Blaine was closed for hours Tuesday evening after a police chase ended with the fleeing suspect’s vehicle becoming immobilized in the grassy median.

According to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to a report of a suspicious male watching children from a vehicle around 6:17 p.m. on the 7000 block of Ivy Lane Northeast in Ham Lake. A registration check of the vehicle’s license plate showed the owner of the vehicle had an active arrest warrant for criminal sexual conduct.

The driver then fled while law enforcement was at the scene. The deputy that spotted the vehicle did not follow the suspect "due to the amount of people in the area," the sheriff’s office stated.

A second Anoka County deputy tracked down the suspect traveling south on Highway 65, and deputies and Blaine Police Department officers tried several tactics to bring the suspect vehicle to a stop, including stop sticks and PIT maneuvers. The driver finally came to a stop on Highway 65 near 97th Avenue Northeast, the sheriff’s office said.

The suspect brandished a knife and was uncooperative with law enforcement. Law enforcement deployed "less-lethal tactics" to bring the suspect under control and into custody. He was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.

Traffic management cameras showed a heavy police presence in the median of Highway 65 between 93rd Lane Northeast and 97th Avenue Northeast shortly before 7 p.m.

That portion of Highway 65 southbound was closed and northbound traffic was backed up but law enforcement left the scene at around 8:50 p.m. and southbound traffic reopened.

The Minnesota State Patrol and Anoka County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.

This is a developing story. Stay with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS for the latest updates.