A man fleeing police in South St. Paul died late Thursday after stopping his car on the Lafayette Bridge in St. Paul and jumping off, according to police.

Officials hadn't identified the man as of Friday afternoon. The cause of death will be determined by the Ramsey County medical examiner's office, said Brian Wicke, a commander with the South St. Paul Police Department.

South St. Paul and West St. Paul police officers began chasing the man along Concord Boulevard north and west toward Hwy. 52 shortly after 10:30 p.m. after he committed several traffic violations, Wicke said.

Wicke described the chase as a "relatively short and brief low-speed vehicle pursuit."

As the man drove onto the Lafayette Bridge, he stopped his car, exited and then ran to the bridge's east railing and jumped, Wicke said. The man landed in a grassy area between the river and Shepard Road.

St. Paul police officers, who were not involved in the chase, responded to the scene and rendered aid, but the man died, said Steve Linders, a St. Paul police spokesman.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting South St. Paul police in the investigation.

STAFF REPORT