Officer Shoots Vehicle in Downtown Minneapolis; Police Investigate

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Authorities are investigating a shooting incident involving a Minneapolis police officer. During the early morning hours of Nov. 19, a Minneapolis officer discharged his weapon once, striking the side of a vehicle, according to police.

Police union president Lt. Bob Kroll told the Star Tribune that police officer Efrem Hamilton had been relieved of duty on Wednesday pending the investigation.

Hamilton was responding to the scene of a large brawl near Target Field when a vehicle that was trying to back up struck his squad car, according to authorities. Hamilton fired one shot. No one was hurt in the incident.

Within two days of the incident, Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau met with the owner of the vehicle and launched an internal investigation. Harteau said the department "would be as transparent as legally possible throughout the process."

The MPD also sent the case to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for review, according to a news release.

In a statement, Minneapolis police said "Anytime an officer uses deadly force on duty, the Minneapolis Police Department proactively conducts an immediate, preliminary internal investigation to determine if the case needs to be forwarded to the county attorney."

Image via m01229, Flickr, used under Creative Commons