Escaped inmate speeds through Mower, killed by trooper
Published 10:17 am Thursday, June 23, 2011
Multi-state chase passed through Mower County roads, Interstate 90 before ending in Iowa
An escaped inmate was shot and killed by an Iowa state trooper near Floyd, Iowa, after police chased him through upper Iowa and southeast Minnesota at high speeds for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon.
Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi said the chase began in Iowa after the man reportedly stole a vehicle from a Department of Transportation garage. According to scanner traffic Wednesday, he was driving a white and camouflage 2002 Chevy Silverado pick-up.
A warrant was issued Wednesday morning for the man’s arrest after he escaped from a Wisconsin prison, according to a statement by the Iowa State Patrol. Iowa troopers spotted the man around noon and attempted to pull him over, but he fled at high speeds, eventually crossing into Minnesota.
According to scanner traffic during the chase, officers in Minnesota were setting up spike strips near Interstate 90 and Highway 56 when the man began heading west on Interstate 90. He exited the freeway before reaching Highway 56 and led police through back roads in Mower County.
Amazi said officers lost the vehicle around Lake Louise State Park near LeRoy. The man then re-entered Iowa.
According to the Iowa State Patrol, shortly after 1 p.m., the stolen vehicle rolled when police caught up and used “pursuit intervention techniques” to stop it.
An officer tried to subdue the man with a Tazer in an attempt to arrest him, but the Tazer missed and the man reportedly charged at a trooper with a knife. The trooper then shot and killed the man.
The man’s name has not been released. In a statement, Iowa State Patrol said the name of the trooper will not be yet either. The trooper has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.