Police chase ends with death in Elk River; driver tied to Minneapolis shooting
A man who was believed to be connected to a shooting in Minneapolis early Saturday was found dead in a vehicle from an apparent gunshot wound after he led police on a chase along Highway 10 in the northwest metro.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) says the chase started when members of the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office spotted a vehicle traveling eastbound on Hwy. 10 in Big Lake.
The vehicle, a black Dodge Charger, was "being sought in connection with a shooting incident that occurred earlier Saturday in Minneapolis," a press release from the BCA says.
A PIT maneuver and stop sticks were deployed during the pursuit, but the driver continued eastbound on the highway into Elk River, at some point shooting at the pursuing officers. The BCA says there is no indication any of the officers returned fire at any point during the chase.
"A short time later, the suspect’s vehicle left the roadway, crossing oncoming lanes of traffic and crashing through a barrier before coming to rest on a side street near Proctor Avenue Northwest and Highway 10 in Elk River," the press release says.
The driver was found dead of an "apparent gunshot wound inside the vehicle." A gun was found near the man's body inside the vehicle.
The man was "sought in connection" to a shooting inside an apartment building earlier Saturday in Minneapolis, near South 9th Street and LaSalle Avenue. According to witnesses, two men exchanged gunfire, with the other man transported to Hennepin County Medical Center with multiple gunshot wounds.
The BCA and Minneapolis police are investigating the incidents. The identity of the driver who died following the police chase has not been released. A cause of death will be announced a later date by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office.
