Bloomington Police, Suspect Exchange Gunfire During Traffic Stop
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A driver who reportedly refused to stop for Bloomington officers late Wednesday exchanged gunfire with police before he was taken into custody with a hand injury.
> Sign up for the MN CRIME newsletter
Officers first saw the driver going the wrong way near Old Shakopee Road and Killebrew Drive around 10:30 p.m. and tried to pull him over.
Police say he continued driving until officers performed two PIT maneuvers to bring the vehicle to a halt.
READ MORE > Bloomington coverage
The driver, identified Thursday as 21-year-old Joshua Rocha, refused repeated orders to get out of the car, leading officers to deploy Pepperball rounds. Moments later, officers reported hearing gunfire from inside the vehicle and returned fire.
Rocha was taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center with a hand injury. No officers were hurt during the exchange. At a press conference, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said Rocha had a prior conviction for driving while intoxicated but no history of violent crime.
Hodges said he suspected Rocha may have been drunk during the incident, though that has not been confirmed. Police say two firearms were recovered from Rocha’s vehicle.
Hodges did not identify the officers involved, but said each had between 5 and 24 years of service. Their names are expected to be released by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is now investigating the shooting.
> See more of our latest coverage
Follow on X or YouTube for more
> Help make MN safer with real-time alerts, LIVE video, 24/7 Safety Agents & much more: Download Citizen now
