Photos from the shooting scene shared by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. (Facebook)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - As they were taking a stolen car suspect into custody, Ramsey County deputies had to duck and dodge gunfire as shots were fired in the same parking lot.
Stolen car arrest in St. Paul
The backstory:
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office says deputies were investigating the report of a stolen vehicle Friday around 8:20 p.m. when shots were fired.
According to deputies, officers had boxed in a stolen Malibu in a parking lot off Maryland Avenue East near Herbert Street.
As they arrested the driver, officers say someone started firing across the parking lot, only about 30 yards from deputies. Deputies and other officers at the scene got bystanders down and behind shelter to avoid the gunfire.
Shots fired during investigation
What we know:
Deputies say at least one bullet struck their squad and ricocheted off. When the gunfire stopped, deputies ran to help a 39-year-old man who had been shot in the chest.
Deputies used chest seals to stop the bleeding and the man was rushed to the hospital. The shooting is being investigated by the St. Paul Police Department.
Police say the victim is expected to survive.
What we don't know:
The motive behind the shooting is unclear, and it's not known if the shooter was targeting the law enforcement officers, or if they were simply just caught in the line of fire. But police say it appears the shooting was unrelated to the traffic stop.