Hennepin County deputies this week stopped and arrested a 12-year-old boy who led them on a chase and was driving a stolen vehicle in Minneapolis.
The boy's 14-year-old passenger was also arrested, and both were charged with felony fleeing of police in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Thursday.
Deputies from the Sheriff's Office's Violent Offender Task Force in concert with the Minneapolis Police Department were on an extra patrol when they spotted the stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle fled and recklessly passed other drivers in north Minneapolis while trying to get away, the Sheriff's Office said.
Law enforcement put out spike sticks as the stolen vehicle slowed in traffic. But even with deflated tires, the driver kept going, the Sheriff's Office said.
Police also used a driving maneuver that brought the fleeing car to a stop by forcing it to turn 180 degrees. At the time of arrest, the 12-year-old driver had a cast on his leg from a recent gunshot wound, the Sheriff's Office said.
The traffic stop was part of Operation Endeavor, a coordinated effort of law enforcement and community partners to reduce violent crime in Minneapolis.
