Deer leaves Anoka office a bloody mess

Article by: WARREN WOLFE , Star Tribune
Updated: June 6, 2009 - 9:53 PM

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A confused deer smashed through a window at the Anoka County public defender's office in downtown Anoka on Saturday morning, thrashed around and smashed out another window leaving a blood-spattered office behind, Anoka police reported.

"It looked like the movie set of a crime scene, like a murder," said officer Paul Schley. "Especially in the room he exited, there was blood in three of the four corners of the room and around the window. It was pretty bad."

Police were called shortly after 11 a.m. by someone who saw the deer jump into the office. The caller thought the deer was dead, said Sgt. Justin Anderson. "Apparently not. The deer is still at large."

The deer had been spotted wandering in the area by nearby residents earlier Saturday, Schley said. Deer frequently are spotted in town, but Anderson didn't recall any previous incidents with deer crashing into buildings.

The office in the Jackson Professional Building at 433 Jackson St., a block from the courthouse, probably will be closed for several days, said an owner of the building, Stephen Munstenteiger, after surveying the damage.

"It's the blood that really caused the damage," he said. Repair work will include replacing the two windows, cleaning and painting walls and replacing carpeting in two offices of the suite's four offices, the hallway and the reception area. In addition, some computers and printers were splattered with blood.

"I really expected to find the deer dead, what with all the blood," Schley said. "The office is about three blocks from the Rum River, and it probably went down there to find shelter. I kind of doubt it will survive."

Warren Wolfe • 612-673-7253