An undercover Robbinsdale police officer was shot in both legs Thursday afternoon after a road rage incident involving a man driving with his family in a busy area of Coon Rapids.

The 27-year-old officer, whose arm also was grazed, was treated and released from Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

He was on duty, wearing plain clothes and in an unmarked squad car, when he was shot, said Tim Snell, Coon Rapids deputy police chief. He said it was unclear why the officer was in the city.

Snell said the shooting suspect is a 35-year-old Coon Rapids man who was booked into the county jail pending assault charges.

The man had his wife and two toddlers in his car when he surrendered to police about 10 minutes after the shooting.

A driving dispute led to the shooting, and the suspect didn't know he was shooting at an officer, Snell said.

The shooting happened in a very busy area "with all kinds of vehicle and pedestrian traffic," Snell said.

"It caused a very dangerous situation with shots going off in the middle of the day," Snell said. "I'm happy there was no more extensive injuries as far as the number of people."

Nobody else was hurt.

The incident began about 2:30 p.m. on 99th Avenue NW, west of Foley Boulevard NW, an area with a movie complex, strip mall and homes. Numerous people called 911.

When police arrived, the suspect was gone. But a man called police saying he was involved in the shooting, and he then met officers at a Holiday gas station across Hwy. 10 on Foley Boulevard. Police found a handgun when the man was arrested. He had a permit for his gun.

"I don't know if he carries it all the time or if he had it for a special occasion today," Snell said.

The man's wife and children were interviewed and released, he said.

The suspect isn't well known to police and lived a few miles from the shooting scene. The officer was armed, but he didn't use his handgun.

Police are still sorting out what driving behavior caused the shooting and why the officer was in Coon Rapids.

The officer hadn't alerted Coon Rapids police that he would be in their city, which would typically be done if an officer planned to arrest someone. However, out-of-town officers often don't notify local police if they plan to do an interview, Snell said.

Outside the hospital, Robbinsdale Police Chief Wayne Shellum said that his officer, whose name was not released because he works undercover, is doing well.

"He's in good spirits and he looked at me and said, 'Geez,' he says, ' I'm sorry, chief.' And I went, 'Hey, it's not your fault. You're doing your job; you're doing what you're paid to do.' "