What started as a 911 call about people pointing guns turned into a tense confrontation on St. Paul’s East Side, when two masked, gloved men approached officers and opened fire on the 500 block of Broadway Street on Saturday, March 14, according to police.
A bullet struck a man in the leg, and he was taken to Regions Hospital, where he was treated and later released. No officers were hurt, and the St. Paul Police Department says body-worn cameras captured the entire encounter.
Police: 911 Caller Reported People Pointing Guns
Officers were first dispatched after a 911 caller reported people pointing guns at one another on the 500 block of Broadway, according to the Pioneer Press. When they arrived, police say they encountered two men wearing masks and gloves who confronted the officers.
St. Paul police told reporters that at least one of the men was armed and that one of them fired a weapon during the confrontation. Officers did not return fire, the report said. The department has emphasized that body cameras were rolling throughout the incident.
Victim Taken to Regions Hospital
The man hit by gunfire was transported to Regions Hospital in downtown St. Paul, where he was treated for a leg wound and released, according to police. Regions is the city’s Level I trauma center and provides adult and pediatric trauma services for the east metro. For general information about the hospital, see its site at Regions Hospital.
Investigation, Charges and Outside Assistance
One of the men who fired a gun was being booked on suspicion of possession of a firearm by an ineligible person, the Pioneer Press reported. The St. Paul Police Department has asked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to assist with the case, and the agency’s site notes that it provides forensic and investigative resources to local law enforcement. See the BCA’s information page at Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for more on the agency’s role…