By Dawn Schuett, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Jan. 8–Two men are in custody and three police officers are on administrative leave after a shooting at a shopping center parking lot Sunday afternoon and a subsequent six-mile pursuit through sections of Rochester.
One of the men in custody suffered what authorities called a nonlife-threatening gunshot wound to the shoulder from a police bullet.
Both suspects are being held on felony warrants. In custody are Ciaran Daniel Cain, 26, of Owatonna, and Nathan Sean Espenson, 20, of West Concord.
Officers on administrative leave pending the completion of the investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Minnesota State Patrol are Sgt. Kent Perlich and officers Thomas Faudskar and Ed Fritz. Capt. Brian Winters said it is standard procedure for officers to be put on administrative leave after use-of-force incidents.
No officers were injured, although Fritz and Perlich were involved in separate car crashes with Cain, Winters said. Those crashes are being investigated by the state patrol.
Winters said Perlich and Faudskar responded to a call Sunday from sheriff’s detective Brad Nelson, who reported seeing Cain and Espenson in a vehicle in the parking lot of the shopping center at 1300 Salem Road Southwest.
Cain is wanted in three counties. In Olmsted County, he faces burglary and drug charges. Cain faces drug charges in Dodge County, and there is a warrant for his arrest in Steele County on first- and second-degree drug charges.
According to court records, Espenson has criminal convictions but no outstanding warrants in Olmsted County.
Winters said Perlich and Faudskar approached the vehicle with guns drawn and ordered the men to get out of the car to arrest Cain on the warrants.
“The car accelerated rapidly in reverse,” Winters said. “Both officers feared for their safety and the safety of others.” The vehicle was driven by Cain.
Faudskar fired at the vehicle. Espenson had jumped out of the car in the parking lot and was arrested.
The pursuit took officers through sections of Rochester, Winters said. Perlich’s and Cain’s vehicles collided near Sixth Street and Eighth Avenue Southeast.
Later, Fritz used his squad car to maneuver Cain off the road on East Frontage Road between 14th Street and Seventh Street Northwest, and Cain was arrested. He was then taken to Saint Marys Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound. The hospital wasn’t releasing information about him today.
During the police pursuit, Cain allegedly threw methamphetamine from his vehicle, Winters said. He said a replica handgun and more meth were found in Cain’s vehicle.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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