Inver Grove Heights officer 'accidently' fires shot during pursuit

INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - An officer "accidently fired a single shot" during a pursuit of a suspect in Inver Grove Heights.

Authorities say that shot struck a vehicle’s tire, and the suspect was apprehended and treated for an injury from falling over a fence.

Inver Grove Heights pursuit leads to officer's accidental discharge

The backstory:

Authorities say police initiated a vehicle traffic stop near the intersection of South Street and 6th Avenue South just after 3:40 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8.

Police say the driver then fled from them and that officers lost sight of the vehicle.

Officers remained in the area and later located the vehicle, leading to a different officer to initiate another traffic stop.

The driver, who police say was the only occupant of the vehicle, then pulled over and ran away.

Officer fires shot into vehicle tire

Local perspective:

An officer approaching the vehicle then "accidently fired a single shot into the vehicle’s tire" when they were near the driver’s rear side of the vehicle.

The Inver Grove Heights Police Department said the shot was not directed at anyone, and nobody was in or near the vehicle at the time the shot was fired.