Minnesota is a Weird Place

Living in Minnesota can best be surmised by extended lengths of time with nothing of great interested happening peppered with HOLY FUCK WHAT’S GOING ON?! Yesterday a police officer from Mendota Heights was shot dead during a traffic stop:

A Mendota Heights police officer died Wednesday afternoon after being shot in West St. Paul by a wanted fugitive, police sources said.

The shooting happened not long after 2 p.m. near the area of Dodd Road and Smith Avenue while the officer was performing a traffic stop, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office said.

According to a Mendota Heights City Councilmember, the officer who was killed was Scott Patrick.

But that wasn’t all:

Later in the afternoon, at about 3:20 p.m., police were engaged in a high-speed chase on Interstate 494. The chase ended with a pit maneuver that caused the suspect’s vehicle, a green Saturn sedan, to spin out on the Lake Road exit. More than a dozen officers with guns drawn arrested the suspect shortly after.

If you’re thinking the second incident is related to the first you’re incorrect. They were two separate and apparently unrelated incidents. The person suspected of murdering Mr. Patrick was apprehended last night but not much additional information is currently available. I’m curious to find out why the man shot Mr. Patrick. My only guess is that there was a warrant out for his arrest.