Holly MatkinRoseville, MN – A Roseville police officer remained hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the face Wednesday morning after responding to a report of an active shooter in a residential neighborhood the night before.
Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider said police responded to the 2900-block of West Owasso Boulevard at approximately 7:30 p.m. after they received reports that someone had fired approximately 15 gunshots in the area, Bring Me The News reported.
One caller said the gunman was seen carrying a “scoped rifle,” Chief Scheider said during a news conference on Wednesday.
Police arrived to discover that the suspect, a 53-year-old man, had been shooting at neighboring homes, KMSP reported.
Chief Scheider said the officers “immediately came under fire with continuous rifle fire” when they arrived.
They couldn’t immediately ascertain where their attacker was located because he had concealed himself in a wooded area.
Amid the chaos, one officer was “struck in the face by gunfire from the suspect,” the chief said.
Although they were still under fire, the wounded hero’s fellow officers were able to drag him to a patrol vehicle and rushed him to a local hospital, she said.
The three-year veteran of the department suffered a serious gunshot injury, but has been stabilized, Bring Me The News reported.
“Our thoughts are with the injured officer and his family,” Chief Scheider said on Wednesday. “He has been with the Roseville Police Department for almost three years and he is a well-respected, wonderful officer with our department.”
The gunman fired an estimated 100 rounds during the attack, which occurred over a three-block area, according to the chief.
Houses were struck and windows were shattered by bullets, Bring Me The News reported.
About one hour into the attack, a Roseville police officer located the armed suspect outside of a residence and returned fire, according to the chief.
The suspect was hit, leaving him with a “significant injury to his groin area,” Chief Scheider said.
Officers administered first aid before the gunman was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.
His identity was not immediately released.
Chief Scheider said the police department had dealt with the suspect approximately 15 times in the past, to include recent encounters, Bring Me The News reported.
He also had a history of “mental health-related issues,” she said.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is handling the ongoing investigation into the incident.
Chief Scheider praised her agency’s officers for the heroic actions they took to stop the active shooter.
“I could not be prouder of the bravery and courage that was demonstrated by our officers,” she said. “Knowing innocent lives were on the line, they ran to the threat, and they did exactly what they were trained to do. All of this, knowing that their partner had just been struck by gunfire.”
Those officers put their own lives on the line and “went above and beyond the call of duty,” Chief Scheider added.
“The quick thinking and heroic actions of our officers saved lives last night,” she said.
The chief also extended her condolences to the suspect’s family.
