16-Year-Old Arrested In Shooting Of Minneapolis Police Officer

MINNEAPOLIS — A 16-year-old boy wanted in the Aug. 11 shooting of Minneapolis Police Officer Jacob Spies was arrested Tuesday

Just after 7 p.m., two Minneapolis squads conducted a traffic stop stop near Dowling Avenue North and Morgan Avenue North. They stopped a teen who was charged in September with second-degree attempted murder in the nonfatal shooting of Spies.

A warrant had been issued for the teen's arrest.

He was booked into Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center and on Wednesday was held in custody by the judge.

"Officer Spies was the victim of a brazen ambush by a group of individuals with no regard for the sanctity of a human life," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara in a statement.

"While our officer is still recovering from his gunshot wound, I am thankful for the attentiveness of his fellow Minneapolis police officers who continue to put their lives on the line to keep our residents safe. Their relentless and proactive police work led to this person’s arrest, and we look forward to all involved being held accountable for this outrageous attack before they seriously harm others in our community."

Two others — 19-year-old Frederick Leon Davis and 19-year-old Nevaeh Page — already face charges in the shooting.

Davis faces one count of second-degree attempted murder (with intent, not premeditated.) If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison.

Page was charged with aiding an offender (accomplice after the fact). If convicted, she faces up to half the statutory maximum for the underlying crime or 20 years in prison.

On Aug. 11 just after 9 p.m., a Minneapolis police officer spotted a white Chevy Equinox that had fled from Brooklyn Park Police the day before and had fled from Minneapolis police only an hour earlier, according to the criminal complaint.

The Equinox was driving near the intersection of Dowling Avenue North and Morgan Avenue North, authorities said.

The officer — while driving an unmarked police squad and wearing plain clothes — followed the Equinox for eight blocks.

As the officer crested a hill, he noticed the Equinox parked near the eastern curb on Colfax Avenue near Webber Parkway with its lights off. The officer then heard gunshots, saw muzzle flashes, and his arm went numb. When he realized he had been shot, the officer accelerated out of the area and met up with other officers, who transported him to North Memorial Hospital.

After the shooting, officers located the Equinox and tried to pull it over. The Equinox fled and officers pursued it for about 26 blocks, taking about 8 minutes, according to the criminal complaint. The Equinox then crashed near the intersection of 21st Avenue North and Upton Avenue North.

Davis, Page, and a juvenile male with a head injury fled on foot, authorities said. A fourth person remained in the vehicle until he was arrested, according to the criminal complaint.

A K9 was deployed and Davis and Page were arrested in a nearby yard, authorities said.

Squad video showed that Davis was driving the vehicle and Page was in the front passenger seat, the criminal complaint states.

Officers found a Polymer 80 9mm firearm and a Glock 19 with a "switch" conversion that makes it fully automatic, investigators said. The Glock automatic firearm had fired 12 shots and the Polymer 80 had fired 3 shots, according to authorities.

During in-custody interviews, an occupant of the vehicle identified Davis as a shooter, authorities said. Meanwhile, Page gave conflicting answers, the criminal complaint states.