A violent outburst during a late-night gathering in a Mankato apartment set the stage for one of the young partyers to get in a car and purposely run over six others in a nearby parking lot, police said Monday.
The 21-year-old driver, who is from Shakopee, was arrested early Sunday after briefly fleeing and awaits felony charges later this week, while two of the six were in serious condition in a Rochester hospital, said Police Cmdr. Dan Schisel.
The disturbance in the apartment on Monks Avenue involved a dispute "over some narcotics," said Schisel, who did not have further details about the confrontation.
At some point, someone at the party was hit by pellet gunfire, the commander continued.
From there, the clash spilled into an alley and nearby parking lot, and that was where the six people were run over about 1:50 a.m.
Schisel said "we believe" all six were part of the gathering in the apartment. All are expected to survive their injuries, he said.
The suspect fled onto southbound Hwy. 22 with one of his tires disabled, the commander said. A Blue Earth County sheriff's deputy spotted the car and got the driver to stop north of nearby Beauford.
Schisel described the suspect as "not very cooperative" during his apprehension.
