No details have been released on what led to the confrontation and shooting at this time.
Police officers shot a man as he aimed his vehicle at them in a Twin Cities airport parking ramp in a confrontation that wounded the suspect and one of the responding officers, the Star-Tribune reports.
The incident took place around 9:30 p.m. Saturday in on the second level of the Terminal 1 ramp in the Hertz rental area, confirmed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan.
“A vehicle intentionally drove at the [airport] police officers, who were on foot,” added Lisa Kiava of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the principal agency heading up the investigation. “Officers fired on the vehicle.”
The driver was hospitalized, as was one of the officers. Both are expected to survive, continued Kiava. Their identities have not yet been released to the public.
Hogan said responding officers were summoned to the ramp on a report of two people acting oddly and being uncooperative.
Contrary to this report, Kiava revealed no information about a second person present on the scene.
Hogan said that it was his belief this is the first time airport police have been involved in any type of shooting since they were called to respond to reports of a gun being fired in the bag claim area “decades ago.”
The shooting scene remains off limits to the public Sunday as the Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident.
Until then, Hogan added, rental car customers are being asked to return their vehicles to the Terminal 2 facility.
The incident occurs on the second day of the ongoing protest of the Minneapolis airport by Sun County Airlines pilots. The pilots have been demanding a higher wage, claiming to be the lowest paid Boeing 737 pilots among the other large airlines.