Man arrested in Beltrami County after intentionally crashing into police squad car
Police lights are pictured in a file image.
BELTRAMI COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 52-year-old Grygla man was arrested after a police pursuit that ended in an intentional crash into a Bemidji Police Department squad car.
According to the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office, just before 1:15 a.m. Saturday, a Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Deputy and a Blackduck police officer were on patrol when they witnessed a car stopped at an intersection not moving despite no oncoming traffic. The man driving the car then proceeded to go and signaled to turn but did not turn. Authorities then observed "additional driving behavior" and attempted to make a traffic stop.
Law enforcement said the driver accelerated at a high rate of speed and went south on Highway 71. The pursuit reached speeds up to 100 miles per hour when the driver turned east on Hines Road in Blackduck, Minnesota. As law enforcement was attempting a pursuit intervention technique, the driver went into the ditch and turned back on Highway 71. Law enforcement says authorities successfully deployed tire deflation devices.
Bemidji police officers were at Farley Drive and Highway 71 when the driver intentionally attempted to hit a squad car, authorities said. An officer was able to move the squad car to avoid a head-on collision, but it was still struck on the rear driver's side. The suspect's car became disabled at the tree line when authorities attempted to arrest the man, who resisted.
According to authorities, the man was eventually taken into custody and transported to the hospital, where he was medically cleared. No other injuries were reported.