Wild drug sting: Suspects' dog killed after attacking investigator

Last update: January 4, 2008 - 4:12 PM

A drug sting at a St. Cloud gas station late this morning spun out of control, with the suspects unleashing an angry dog on an investigator, authorities said.

The investigator shot and killed the dog, and one of the suspects was tasered before he could be apprehended, police said.

The three men, one from White Bear Lake and the other two from Inver Grove Heights, were all in custody in the Stearns County jail.

According to police:

Shortly before noon, members of the Central Minnesota Drug and Gang Task Force bought 2 ounces of methamphetamine for $4,000 in a gas station parking lot.

As investigators moved in to make arrests, the suspects resisted. While trying to remove the three from a vehicle, a "pit bull-type" of dog was released from the vehicle and began attacking an investigator.

The investigator shot the dog three times and killed it.

The suspects also threw a Bible from the vehicle. It had several pages cut out to "enable someone to hide objects in the book in an attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement," police said in a news release.

One of the suspects, a 39-year-old man from Inver Grove Heights, got out of the car and was "extremely combative," leading to officers subduing him with a Taser gun.

The other two male suspects, one 34 from White Bear Lake and the other 30 from Inver Grove Heights, surrendered without incident.

PAUL WALSH

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