'Best care possible' for wounded K-9 after police pursuit left suspect fatally shot
A police dog was resting comfortably Monday after being shot a day earlier during a pursuit that started in Blaine and ended in Isanti County with one suspect killed and another jailed.
The K-9 Bravo is being tended to medically at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center by a "team of heroes who will be able to provide him with the best care possible," the city of Anoka Police Department said in a Facebook posting about its four-legged law enforcer.
Blaine Police Chief Brian Podany said officers responded to a call involving a possible theft at the Kohl's department store just before 1 p.m. Sunday.
The two suspects had a stolen vehicle, and fled, then carjacked another vehicle at gunpoint nearby, leading police on a 40-mile high-speed chase through Anoka and Isanti counties, police said.
After the pickup truck became disabled on Hwy. 65 outside Braham, the suspects fled on foot again and exchanged gunfire with police, who killed a man who has not yet been identified. A gun was recovered at the scene.
Anoka police said in their Facebook message that "we are confident that extreme acts of bravery were displayed. ... We are also confident that K-9 Bravo performed his duties with the greatest act of heroism."
No officers or suspects have been identified as of midafternoon Monday. One officer received minor injuries during the pursuit. The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the confrontation, has yet to release any details of the incident.
Emergency dispatch audio has so far offered the most detailed account of the pursuit, which sliced north on Hwy. 65 in Blaine in what officers described as "heavy traffic" and speeds topping 100 mph.
"They tried to hit me," one officer reported to dispatch early on in the encounter that revealed one suspect "presented a gun" that law enforcement spotted.
Just north of Cambridge, the pickup was "driving in the oncoming traffic" for several miles in Isanti County, according to dispatch audio, while still traveling at speeds of at least 90 miles per hour and with two or more tires deflated by law enforcement "stop sticks."
The disabled pickup ended up in a ditch north of Braham, one officer informed dispatch nearly 30 minutes into the pursuit.
Within a minute, an officer shouted "shots fired! shots fired!" The call prompted an immediate call for medical personnel to respond as law enforcement reported one of the suspects was shot. The other suspect was quickly arrested.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
