ROSEVILLE, Minn. — Roseville police say a 53-year-old suspect is dead and an officer hospitalized with serious injuries after being shot in the face Tuesday night in the northeast corner of the city near Lake Owasso.
At a press conference Wednesday morning, Roseville Police Chief Erica Scheider said that the officer, a three-year veteran of the force, was dragged to safety by fellow police officers and taken to the hospital in a squad car, where he's now in stable condition.
Scheider said officers are still trying to determine the motive behind the shootout, which lasted for over an hour, in a residential neighborhood. When officers arrived at the scene on the 2900 block of West Owasso Boulevard around 7:30 p.m., she said officers immediately starting taking fire from the male suspect.
About 100 rounds were fired at officers at the scene, and Scheider said several homes were hit by gunfire.
The suspect in the shooting, who police described as a white man, was moving around and changing locations throughout the shootout. He died after being shot in the groin, according to police. Scheider said a Roseville officer found the suspect in a yard, but didn't confirm if an officer shot him or if the injury was self-inflicted. The Roseville man later died at a hospital.
Scheider confirmed that police had received at least 15 calls for service involving the suspect in the past, who lived in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred. Some of those calls were mental health-related, Scheider said.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading this investigation, which Scheider said could take several days to complete because of the size and scope of the crime scene. The BCA will also release details about the weapon used in the shooting, which neighbors reported was a rifle.
"Shots just kept on coming," said homeowner Mike Heffernan. "Got a lot of texts wondering what's going on. It just doesn't happen in this part of town, typically."
Heffernan went on to say the experience was "like something out of a movie."
The Roseville Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff, Minnesota State Patrol and Transit Police were all present at the scene Tuesday.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the unnamed Roseville officer and his wife.
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