UPDATE 4:02 p.m. 8/22/12: At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson Sgt. William Palmer said investigators wanted to stress that this was an isolated incident, and homicide investigators have no other suspects at this time.
ORIGINAL Story: The late-night plea for help that could have killed a Minneapolis Park Police officer Tuesday nightwas a fake call, designed to lure the officer in, according to Minneapolis Police Department investigators.
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Around 11:30 Tuesday night, a man called 911, reporting he'd just been mugged at knifepoint near the corner of West Minnehaha Parkway and Bryant Avenue South. Two Minneapolis Park Police officers responded, reaching the intersection around 11:45 p.m. On seeing a man standing by the southern end of the Bryant Avenue footbridge and thinking him the mugging victim, the pair approached him.
Suddenly, according to a written statement issued by Sgt. Palmer, the man lunged at the older officer, a man, striking his chest with a knife. He then turned and stabbed the officer's partner, a woman, in the upper back.
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The male officer's life was saved by his bulletproof vest, Palmer said, while the female officer dropped to the ground, wounded, badly scraping her head as she fell.
At this point, Palmer said, the male officer had drawn his pistol and fired at least one, if not more shots into the suspect. The suspect is currently in stable condition at Hennepin County Medical Center and is being kept under guard. Police say he will be charged with second-degree assault when he is "medically able."
Citing an interview Minneapolis homicide investigators had with the 38-year old suspect, police say the suspect admitted to faking the 911 call because he "wanted to hurt police officers when they arrived to talk with him."
The wounded officer was treated overnight for her injuries and is recuperating at home. Both officers involved are on standard administrative leave.
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