State authorities are investigating the fatal shooting of a man who led law enforcement authorities on a 50-mile chase Friday in western Minnesota.
A Stevens County deputy shot and killed the man after he opened fire on officers, according to a preliminary investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The man's identity has yet to be made public. His name will be released by the Ramsey County medical examiner after an autopsy.
According to the BCA's report:
A Stevens County deputy responding to a call about an erratic driver just after 7 a.m. Friday spotted the suspect's pickup truck in the small town of Donnelly. A male motorist appeared to be slumped over inside the vehicle.
The man initially provided his driver's license to the deputy, but then suddenly sped off through the town. With the deputy in pursuit, the suspect rammed a Morris Police Department squad car and kept going, cruising through three separate counties at speeds up to 80 miles per hour.
Several other law enforcement agencies joined the chase, during which at one point the man began firing through the back window of his truck at the officers in pursuit. More than an hour later, authorities eventually forced his vehicle to a halt on Hwy. 27 near County Road 6, in Traverse County.
Officers tried to negotiate with him, but the man flashed a handgun and fled on foot into a nearby field. Five officers followed him, cutting him off before he could reach the woods. While surrounded, the suspect raised his weapon toward officers, the report said.
