Stolen vehicle crashes in Minneapolis spark call for action from sheriff

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office called for action to address escalating juvenile crime after reckless driving in stolen vehicles led to crashes and injuries in Minneapolis.

The sheriff’s office said law enforcement working on a special detail in Minneapolis saw numerous stolen vehicles occupied by juveniles driving recklessly on April 7, according to a Facebook post.

In two separate incidents, the drivers of the stolen vehicles crashed into other cars. A Kia was flipped onto its roof and had severe damage to the side of the vehicle. Two other vehicles involved in a crash had extensive damage to the front of the car and the passenger side door. 

The sheriff’s office said people involved in the crashes sustained injuries, with some reportedly having broken bones.

The juveniles attempted to run from the scene but were arrested by law enforcement. A 16-year-old boy had a fully automatic pistol with an extended magazine on him at the time of the arrest, according to authorities. 

"Instances like these make it evident that juvenile crime is increasing in both frequency and severity," said Sheriff Dawanna Witt in a statement. "We need to hold juveniles accountable for their actions after a crime is committed, but we also need to dedicate resources to engage our youth and prevent these crimes from occurring in the first place. It's passed time to be proactive; we have to act now to save the community from the behavior of these kids and we have to save these kids from themselves."

Authorities did not say how many juveniles were arrested or if any criminal charges have been filed. 

The Violent Offender Task Force detectives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were working on a focused enforcement detail at the time of this incident.