Minneapolis police officer shot and injured Friday evening, 4 suspects in custody
Authorities have four people in custody, including a juvenile — after a Minneapolis Police Officer was shot Friday night.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara says the suspects were apprehended following a high-speed chase that started in North Minneapolis.
“What happened here yesterday is absolutely outrageous,” he told reporters. “One thing that terrifies me to hear, is the call I heard last night.”
Police say just before 8 p.m., officers spotted a Chevy Equinox near 36th Avenue North and Queen Avenue North.
Authorities say the SUV matched the description of a vehicle used in a robbery in the area.
But that wasn’t all.
“The officers saw that vehicle, they ran the Minnesota registration, and they found there was a KOPS alert on that particular vehicle for fleeing from the Brooklyn Park Police the day before,” the chief noted.
O’Hara says the officers attempted a traffic stop, but when the suspect vehicle fled, they did not pursue it.
He adds that about an hour later, an MPD officer — identified by a source as Jacob Spies, a 7-year veteran of the department — was driving an unmarked car and spotted the SUV.
O’Hara says the officer followed it for about a mile to the area of 42nd Avenue and Colfax Avenue North, while calling for backup.
“The officer lost sight of the vehicle and he came around the curve and over the hillcrest, all of a sudden he began receiving incoming automatic gunfire,” the chief explained. “I cannot say whether the suspects in the vehicle believed he was the police or believed he was someone else. But it’s clear from what happened that they were trying to kill whoever was in that car.”
O’Hara says he can’t confirm if the shots came from inside the suspect vehicle or someone standing outside of it.
Spies — shot in the shoulder — was taken by backup officers to North Memorial Hospital.
Meanwhile, police pursued the suspect vehicle in what the chief describes as a high-speed chase to 21st Avenue North and Upton Avenue North, where the suspects crashed into a parked car.
Police say three males inside, including a juvenile, were transported to HCMC with non-life-threatening injuries.
“I can tell you if you engage in activity where you are fleeing from police at speeds of 75 miles per hour, it is a risk you may get injured in an accident,” O’Hara says.
MPD has identified the adult suspects as Nevaeh Page, Freddy Davis, Jr., and Jamin Bowman, all nineteen years old.
O’Hara says a ghost gun, one that lacks a serial number, and is typically assembled from parts purchased separately, was recovered inside the suspect vehicle.
Investigators are checking to see if the firearm matches shell casings also found inside.
Spies was released from North Memorial Hospital around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, with dozens of officers in attendance.
The Minneapolis Police Federation released a statement which says in part: “Last night was a scary reminder of the dangers of being a police officer… we are fortunate that the officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is recovering at home.”
Governor Tim Walz posted a statement on Twitter saying: “Thinking about the Minneapolis police officer who was injured in the line of duty last night. I’m glad the officer is on the mend.”