Police officer involved in Minneapolis shooting, suspect in custody

Minneapolis police are describing a frightening situation that occurred Saturday morning when a gunman reportedly entered an apartment with numerous weapons, including an AK-47.

The incident began late Friday night when Minneapolis police received a 911 call around 10:30 p.m. reporting a person walking along Minnehaha Avenue with a shotgun.

While police searched the area, officers were unable to locate that person. However, police were later contacted dozens of times around 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning, now with reports of gunshots in the 4000 block of Minnehaha Avenue.

Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the gunman entered an apartment down the street and apparently damaged the door with gunfire. When officers searched the building, they found a shotgun lying “in plain sight” in an open doorway and heard more gunshots coming from the apartment.

Residents were evacuated from the building by police while other officers continued to search for the suspected shooter, who was found in the stairwell armed with an AK-47 and a .45 pistol.

The suspect was also equipped with what Chief O'Hara called a military-style flak jacket and a backpack that was later found to contain ammunition.

According to Chief O'Hara, one officer was able to shoot the suspect, striking his jaw, which allowed other officers to disarm him. The suspect was in critical but stable condition and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

He is expected to survive.

The officer who fired his weapon and those who witnessed the incident have been placed on leave and the Minnesota BCA is investigating the incident.

Although two residential buildings were damaged by the shooting, Minneapolis police said no one was injured other than the suspected shooter.

“Fortunately, no other residents or community members were present and no other people were injured in this incident,” said Chief O'Hara. “Thank God no one was hurt.”

O'Hara, who had passed through the apartment himself, called the incident “terrifying” but praised the officer's handling of the situation.

“I cannot express how grateful I am to the men and women of the Minneapolis Police Department who responded to this call,” O'Hara said. “I know it must have taken incredible courage and bravery to do exactly what they were trained to do. I am incredibly grateful for the performance of the officers here today.”

The police are currently unclear about the motive of the suspected shooter.

This incident is just the latest shooting-related incident in Minneapolis this week, during which at least nine separate shootings have already occurred in the city.

“It's been a trying week for everyone in Minneapolis,” O'Hara said. “We've just had a terrible number of shootings and murders in the last week. We were hoping our city would get a break from this violence.”