Austin, MN - Domestic Knife Suspect Steals Squad Car - 120 MPH Chase - Uses Police Radio - Hits Dog - Crash Into Sheriff's Car

Suspect makes get-away in Austin police squad car
Fri, May 22, 2009 PB Online
Post-Bulletin, Austin MN

A bizarre sight occurred Thursday night as three Mower County sheriff's deputies chased a man who had stolen an Austin police squad car on U.S. 218 in Minnesota and Iowa.

A 27-year-old man, who was the suspect in a knife-related domestic disturbance authorities were investigating at a rural Lyle home, allegedly stole the squad car of an Austin police officer who was using a dog to track the suspect, police Lt. John Mueller said.

Deputies, who had responded about 6:20 p.m. to a domestic issue in the 57000 block of 105th Street, used a global-positioning system in the police car to find the suspect driving the stolen squad. That led to a roughly 38-mile chase, which reached speeds of up to 120 mph, mostly occurring on U.S. 218 South near the border, police say.

The suspect, who allegedly had threatened a family member with a knife, initially fled the home on a bicycle but came back and stole the squad.

Authorities became aware of the squad being stolen when the suspect got on the law-enforcement radio, asking officers what their intentions would be if they arrested him, Mueller said.

At one point, the Iowa state patrol set up stop sticks on U.S. 218 near St. Ansgar, but the suspect evaded them by doing a U-turn that caused him to collide with a pursuing Mower County deputy's car, Mueller said. He then accelerated north on U.S. 218.

During the pursuit, the man also allegedly struck a dog with the squad car.

Eventually, the suspect spoke with dispatchers to arrange for turning himself into authorities in Northwood, Iowa. He was arrested without incident at the Northwood fire station.

He is being detained in the Worth County, Iowa, jail pending possible charges in Iowa and Minnesota.

Mueller said Austin police are looking into how the suspect was able to steal the squad car
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