A Richfield police officer was injured and a suspect was killed early Wednesday after an investigation into a reported car prowler turned into an exchange of gunfire, authorities said.
The shooting happened before sunrise in a residential area near Morgan Avenue and 75th Street, after police were called to investigate a report that someone was targeting vehicles in the area. The call came in around 3:24 a.m., according to police.
Officers responded to the 7500 block of Morgan Avenue and located a suspect nearby. Police said the person ran from officers, prompting a foot pursuit through the area.
During that pursuit, authorities said the suspect reportedly brandished a firearm. Gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and Richfield police officers, and both the suspect and an officer were struck.
The suspect died at the scene. Officials had not immediately released the personâs name or additional identifying information. Police also had not released further details about what led up to the moment shots were fired beyond the initial report of a car prowler and the pursuit that followed.
The injured officer was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the hand. Officials said the officer was being treated and was expected to be released, according to a statement from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
The shooting drew a large law enforcement response Wednesday morning as investigators worked to secure and process the scene. Crime scene tape surrounded the property near a multi-unit building, and investigators were seen collecting evidence in the area.
The scene was near 76th Street and Penn Avenue, according to initial reporting from MPR News. FOX 9 reported that 76th Street westbound was closed Wednesday morning while investigators remained on scene. The area is also near a multi-unit building just north of Best Buyâs corporate headquarters.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation. That is standard in many officer-involved shooting cases in Minnesota, particularly when police gunfire results in death or serious injury. The agency is expected to review evidence, collect statements, examine the scene and determine the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
Authorities had not immediately released the names of the officers involved. It was also not immediately clear how many officers fired their weapons or whether body camera footage will be released later in the investigation.
The case began with what is often considered a lower-level public safety call: a resident reporting a possible car prowler. Those calls can unfold quickly, especially in the early morning hours when residents are asleep and officers are responding to reports of suspicious activity around parked vehicles.
Police said the suspect fled after officers arrived and located the person. During the chase, the suspect reportedly displayed a gun, and the situation escalated into gunfire.
By Wednesday morning, the area remained active with investigators. Crime scene personnel processed evidence around the property, and law enforcement officers maintained the perimeter as the investigation continued. Images from the scene showed investigators working near police tape outside a building and vehicles parked nearby.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office was aware of the fatal use-of-force incident and was in contact with the BCA. She said her office will evaluate the case after the BCA completes its investigation.
Moriarty also said her office was grateful the injured officer was being treated and expected to be released. She extended condolences to the family of the person who died, calling the shooting a tragic and traumatic situation for everyone involved.
The public release of information in the hours after the shooting remained limited. Police had not released the suspectâs identity, had not provided a detailed timeline of the foot pursuit, and had not said whether any other people were injured.
Investigators are expected to determine where the pursuit began, where the shots were fired, how many rounds were discharged, and whether any nearby vehicles or buildings were struck. The BCA investigation will also likely examine any police body camera video, squad camera footage, witness statements and physical evidence recovered at the scene.
The shooting disrupted the neighborhood Wednesday morning as officers blocked off part of the area and investigators worked behind crime scene tape. For residents near Morgan Avenue and 75th Street, the police presence turned a routine weekday morning into a major public safety investigation.
Officer-involved shootings often take time to review because investigators must determine not only what happened in the moments before gunfire, but also what officers saw, what commands were given, what the suspect did, and how the encounter moved from an initial call to the use of deadly force.
In this case, officials have said the suspect brandished a firearm during the foot pursuit and that gunfire was exchanged. The suspect died at the scene, while the officer survived and was treated for a hand injury.
The investigation remains active, and additional information is expected as the BCA continues its review and Richfield officials release further updates.
For now, the case stands as a fatal police shooting that began with a report of a car prowler and ended with one person dead, a police officer injured and a neighborhood scene locked down for evidence collection early Wednesday morning.