Officer injured trying to stop man wanted for assault over Menards face mask policy
A police officer was injured trying to apprehend a man wanted in connection with an assault at a Menards store over its face mask policy.
Hutchinson Police Department was called to the Menards at 1525 Montreal St. SE at 1:50 p.m. after a 61-year-old man assaulted an employee with some lumber "following a dispute over wearing a mask."
The man left the store and was seen by an officer in the nearby Walmart parking lot shortly after.
A "slow speed pursuit" then followed with the driver stopping near the Hutchinson Mall.
Here's what Hutchinson Police Department says happened next:
"The vehicle stopped in the area of Highway 15 and Freemont. When an officer engaged the suspect through the driver’s side window, the officer became trapped in the window and the driver took off at a high rate of speed with the officer hanging onto the vehicle.
During the struggle, the officer was struck in the head with a hammer. The officer was taken to Hutchinson Health for his injuries and is in stable condition."
The 61-year-old has been arrested, with the McLeod County Sheriff's Office investigating.
Note: The details provided in this story are based on the police’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
