Highway back open after heavy law enforcement presence shuts down I-694 in Little Canada

An incident Wednesday evening near the border of Little Canada and Vadnais Heights led law enforcement to block part of Interstate 694 where it meets Interstate 35E.

Shortly before 6 p.m., Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed Minnesota State Patrol troopers blocking off traffic in both directions between the I-694/I-35E interchange and Highway 61. The highway has since been reopened.

The State Patrol said troopers received reports of a person walking on the freeway just after 5 p.m. A trooper arrived there a short time later and the person allegedly displayed a gun before running away from the trooper.

A negotiator was called from Ramsey County and helped get the person to surrender the gun. The individual was then taken into custody and brought to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

The investigation remains active.