Shots fired between 2 vehicles leads to police pursuit and crash in downtown St. Paul

Mara H. Gottfried, Pioneer Press
·2 min read

A report of people shooting at each other from two separate vehicles on Wednesday afternoon led to a police pursuit in St. Paul and a crash in downtown St. Paul.

No injuries were reported from the gunfire or crash, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman.

Officers were called just before 4:30 p.m. on a report of people in two vehicles shooting at each other in the 300 block of Luella Street near Interstate 94 and Ruth Street. One of the vehicles was described as a black Jeep.

Police found a black Jeep that was heading west on Minnehaha Avenue from Ruth Street; they saw its rear window was broken out, Ernster said. Officers tried to pull it over, but the driver accelerated and went south on McKnight Road and west on I-94. Police pursued the vehicle, which reached speeds of up to 90 mph, according to Ernster.

The driver took the U.S. 52/Sixth Street exit. When police saw the vehicle was continuing onto Sixth Street into downtown, they stopped the pursuit, Ernster said.

The Jeep continued on and struck a car that was heading north on Wall Street at Sixth Street in Lowertown. The Jeep then veered into the Ox Cart Ale House on the northwest corner and landed inside the bar and restaurant. No one was inside the business, which is listed online as being temporarily closed.

Police took three people from the Jeep into custody — two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old.

Officers determined the Jeep was stolen from St. Paul. They found casings inside the Jeep and a handgun with a switch that would allow it to be fired as an automatic weapon, Ernster said.

The other vehicle from the shots-fired incident hadn’t been found as of early Wednesday evening. Police are investigating the circumstances of the gunfire.

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