MPD: 2 officers hurt while responding to assault

The Minneapolis Police Department says two of its officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries while responding to a call on Monday night.

Police say the two officers were responding to a report of an assault at around 8 p.m. near St. Olaf Church on South Eighth Street in downtown Minneapolis when they were hurt.

According to MPD, the first officer at the scene saw a man pinning a female victim to a car. The officer told the man to get away from the victim and the man started attacking the officer.

Police say the man punched the officer in the face repeatedly and pushed the officer to the ground. A second officer then arrived and pulled the man off the officer.

Other officers arrived and were able to arrest the man, who continued to scream and thrash around, according to the department. He was evaluated at a hospital due to his behavior before being booked into jail.

MPD says the first officer was transported to a hospital by ambulance and the second officer self-transported there. They were both treated and released later that night. The female wasn’t hurt.

“Thank God these officers, and the victim who pleaded for help on 9-1-1 were not more seriously hurt,” Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara said in a statement. “This is another example of the dangers that Minneapolis police officers face every day as they place their lives on the line to defend the safety of others. Like so many of our officers, these officers were working extra hours to ensure the safety of our city. The dedication and commitment of our officers ensured that this individual was safely apprehended. I applaud the professionalism of the arresting officers and am grateful for the care provided by the Minneapolis Fire Department and Hennepin County Paramedics.”