Sunday evening, April 14th, at approximately 7:39pm, a West Concord Police Officer was parked on Highway 56 in West Concord when a vehicle came up behind him and swerved towards him just missing hitting the side of his squad car. The officer pulled out behind the vehicle that then pulled into the Casey’s gas station, made a U-turn and aggressively drove towards the squad car. The suspect driver then turned north on Highway 56. The West Concord Officer initiated a traffic stop with his overhead lights and the suspect vehicle stopped in the roadway briefly, then put the vehicle in reverse and rammed the squad car’s front end disabling the squad and setting off the air bags injuring the officer. The suspect vehicle then fled. The West Concord Officer was transported by ambulance from the scene for minor injuries. He has since been discharged and is recovering at home
With the help of a citizen who followed the suspect car, Dodge County Deputies responded and were able to locate the suspect vehicle, a black 2005 Ford Explorer. The vehicle failed to stop for Dodge County Deputies resulting in a pursuit north on county and township roads into rural Goodhue County. During the pursuit, a Rice County deputy was able to deploy stop sticks resulting in the suspect losing his right front tire. As the pursuit entered Cannon falls on County 24 Blvd, a Dodge County Deputy was able to successfully deploy stop sticks a second time in an attempt to disable the suspect vehicle.
The suspect turned into the Mayo Clinic Hospital, which went into lockdown, stopping his vehicle at the curb by the main doors of the building. Dodge County Deputies attempted to get the suspect to exit the vehicle when he produced a firearm and shot himself. No officers discharged their firearm during this incident.
The Cannon Falls Police Department requested the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) to assist their agency with the suicide investigation. BCA agents and Evidence Technicians responded to take over the suicide investigation.
