Man arrested for assault after following woman, driving into Minneapolis fire station doors

Minneapolis police arrested a man accused of following a woman and driving his pickup truck into the bay doors of a fire station in the Whittier neighborhood Thursday night.

At about 7:15 p.m., a woman fled to the fire station at West 28th Street and Blaisdell Avenue as she was trying to get away from a man who "refused" to stop pursuing her, according to the Minneapolis Police Department. The woman asked for firefighters’ help and crews hastened to aid her.

Officers said that the man then drove his pickup truck into the driveway of the fire station and firefighters placed themselves between the truck and the woman as he inched forward. Firefighters commanded the man to leave.

Firefighters then opened the bay doors to try and go inside with the woman when the man tried to drive past the group and struck one of the doors, police said. Crews then punctured one of the truck’s tires and detained the man until police arrived.

Police said the man was arrested for assault and booked into the Hennepin County Jail.

The fire station remained in full service and no injuries were reported.