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Early Sunday morning a domestic violence call turned into a police chase and ended in a crash that killed the suspect near Robert Street in West St. Paul, according to police.
- A woman called the police around 1:43 a.m. saying a 35-year-old man was making threats and damaging property. The individual had “consumed large amount of alcohol and used drugs,” according to the call.
- West St. Paul Police tried to stop the suspect in a vehicle on Moreland Avenue at Charlton, but the driver fled.
- A few blocks later the driver crossed Robert Street and lost control, striking a power pole and two unoccupied vehicles in a driveway near Moreland and Kruse Street.
- The driver was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
- The Mendota Heights Police Department is investigating the crash and the Minnesota State Patrol is reconstructing the crash.
West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon characterized it as a “high speed” chase “that lasted seconds.” The department does have a 13-page vehicle pursuit policy available on their website.
Related: Recently, a citizen did complain about high speed police chases in West St. Paul. They spoke during public comments at the Aug. 27 City Council meeting (the comment comes at 3:55) describing a chase in July where the fleeing driver crashed into a bystander’s vehicle.
Views From the Scene
Video survey from the scene the next morning after the offending vehicle was removed (language warning):
(Video by Edgar Herrera, used with permission.)
Sept. 9 Update: More Details From Police
- More incident details: According to Police Chief Brian Sturgeon, initial contact with police happened near Ohio Street and Moreland Avenue as police arrived at the scene and saw a vehicle speeding south on Ohio. The fleeing driver turned east on Moreland as police began pursuit. Police turned on their sirens at Moreland and Charlton. For much of the chase, police were several blocks behind the speeding vehicle. From the initial radio call that an officer was in pursuit to the crash was less than 45 seconds. Another police officer was able to stop traffic on Robert Street as the chase approached. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt. The incident is being investigated by the Mendota Heights Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol to ensure transparency. The name of the deceased has not yet been released.
- Chase policy: “We don’t chase like we used to,” Sturgeon said. “Maybe back in the day, you chase until they either stopped or crashed, but we don’t do that nowadays.” Sturgeon said they don’t pursue for long distances. There’s a lot the officer has to consider and weigh, which is summed up in the department policy. That policy is required by the state and is based on the state’s model policy.
- July chase: As for the chase in July that a resident complained about, the police tried to pull over a suspect in the parking lot of the Savor apartment building. The driver fled, immediately crashing into a car at Robert and Wentworth before any chase had begun. The driver continued south on Robert Street with police in pursuit. At about Crusader Avenue, police stopped the chase and let the vehicle go. The police later recovered the fleeing vehicle outside of West St. Paul and that incident is still under investigation.
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