A St. Thomas junior suffered a minor injury early Sunday in his St. Paul home when he was grazed in the wrist by a stray bullet fired during a police chase.
The 20-year-old student said he was watching television about 4 a.m. on the main floor of a rental house on the 1700 block of Dayton Avenue several blocks east of campus when he heard a “pop.” He noticed his left wrist was bleeding and he ran upstairs to tell his roommates to call 911.
The bullet came into the house from outside, grazed his wrist and entered his Gatorade bottle. Fire Department paramedics arrived at the scene and treated the wound, and the student contacted his parents to let them know about the situation.
Police said the incident began when they responded to a burglary call in the area. A sergeant tried to stop a suspicious car but it took off, leading to a chase that ended near Dayton and Wheeler. A man jumped out of the car, the sergeant chased him on foot, shots were fired and the suspect was struck. At this point, a bullet also entered the student’s house, and police are working to determine from where the bullet came.
The suspect is in critical condition at Regions Hospital, police said. The driver of the car got away and fled the neighborhood. Police said they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the St. Thomas neighborhood.
For more information, see Public Safety’s Nov. 17 Alert. Other recent alerts, advisories and bulletins, as well as crime prevention and safety tips, also are posted on the St. Thomas Public Safety website.
