9 charged in Minneapolis street racing bust

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has brought charges against nine people related to street racing in Minneapolis and around the metro.

According to county attorney Mike Freeman, the nine people are facing a total of 20 felonies related to street racing, including riot, criminal damage to property, child endangerment, and reckless driving.

Street racing has been a problem in the cities over the last couple of summers, as mobs of drivers will block streets and highways for races and burnouts, among other activities. Unfortunately, during some of these unauthorized gatherings, shots have been fired and people have been killed.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office further details: "Street racing has led to the complete shutdown of high-traffic intersections throughout Minneapolis and nearby suburbs, including downtown Minneapolis. Drivers will block off intersections and then spin their cars at high speeds. Passengers will sometimes hang out of windows while spinning, and one incident involved a 13-year-old hanging out of a window. Others will shoot guns or fireworks out of their cars during these intersection take-overs."

"We will fully prosecute all of these cases. I will also ensure that we pursue all avenues to stop this unlawful activity, including the use of civil asset forfeiture where appropriate to seize the vehicles used in the commission of these offenses," Freeman wrote in a release. "We are advising law enforcement to seize these vehicles. Whether they are spinning out of control in an intersection or blocking the area from traffic and law enforcement, these vehicles may be permanently seized."