A 28-year-old auto theft suspect was arrested Wednesday after leading police on a lengthy foot chase through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and briefly escaping custody while being treated for injuries at HCMC.

Demetrios Louis Carter, of Minneapolis, could face numerous pending charges, including: fleeing a peace officer, motor vehicle theft, possessing a firearm/ammo while ineligible, possession of dangerous weapons (metal knuckles/switch blade), marijuana possession, trespassing and escaping from custody.

The saga began around 9:15 a.m. when authorities say Carter drove a stolen vehicle into a parking ramp at Terminal 1 and fled on foot. Officers found the vehicle and a search ensued. Carter entered a loading dock and made his way into Concourse C, said airport spokesman Patrick Hogan.

He gained entry only after convincing an employee that helps manage the loading dock "to let him into the terminal, which is a violation of security regulations," Hogan said. "That employee's security badge has been suspended."

From Concourse C, Carter ran to the light-rail platform at Terminal 1 and entered the tunnel, Hogan said. He was arrested by airport police around 10:15 a.m. at a connecting point between the northbound and southbound tunnels, near the Terminal 2 station.

Light rail operations between Fort Snelling and Terminal 2 were suspended temporarily during the manhunt, but resumed shortly before 11 a.m. Blue Line service was suspended for about an hour and buses transported passengers between Fort Snelling and the airport stops until the scene cleared, said Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla.

However, airport flight operations were unaffected during the incident.

After his arrest, Carter complained of injuries sustained during his attempts to flee. He was transported to HCMC, where officers removed his handcuffs for treatment. He managed to escape during medical assessment and leave the hospital, Hogan said.

Minneapolis police officers tracked him down and brought him back to the hospital before booking him at Hennepin County jail.

Staff writer Liz Sawyer contributed to this report.