Roseville officer shot in the face as suspect fired on cops, neighbors
A police officer is in stable condition after being shot in the face during a "chaotic" incident in Roseville Tuesday night in which "over an hour of gunfire" from a suspect targeted neighboring homes, police and squad vehicles.
The suspect, a yet-to-be identified 53-year-old Roseville man who lived in the area, was hiding in a wooded area and firing rounds from a gun, which at least one witness told police was a scoped rifle.
The suspect later died at a hospital after being shot by an officer at the scene, leaving him with a "significant injury to his groin area." It is not clear however if the shot fired by the officer was the suspect's cause of death.
Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider said officers arrived shortly after at least 15 gunshots were reported at 7:30 p.m. in the area of the 2900 block of W Owasso Blvd. Upon arrival, officers "immediately came under fire," with one Roseville officer "struck in the face by gunfire from the suspect."
The chief said the wounded officer's partners, while still taking gunfire, "dragged" the 3-year veteran of the department to a squad and rushed him to a hospital.
"Our thoughts are with the injured officer and his family. He has been with the Roseville Police Department for almost three years and he is a well-respected, wonderful officer with our department," said Scheider.
As of Wednesday morning the officer was in stable condition. An update on his condition could be provided later Wednesday.
Scheider said the suspect fired approximately 100 rounds over a three-block crime scene. Some shots blasted through windows of houses in the neighborhood, though police haven't reported any other injuries during the chaos.
The suspect's identity will be released at a later stage.
Scheider said the suspect has a history of "mental health-related" issues and has had "about 15 past calls for service," including "recent reports involving this individual."
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has taken over the investigation.
Note: The details provided in this story are based on the police’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
