Homeowner shoots man in his St. Paul yard who police say fled from stolen car

A St. Paul homeowner shot and wounded a man after police say he fled into his yard after crashing a stolen car on Tuesday.
Paramedics took the man to Regions Hospital with non-life threatening injuries after the shooting in the Payne-Phalen area.

The homeowner, who police said is cooperating with the investigation, was taken to department headquarters for questioning about what led to the shooting. He was not under arrest.

A sign visible in the home’s front window reads, “No Trespassing,” and “Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again!”

POLICE TRIED TO PULL CAR OVER

Officers on patrol about 10 a.m. spotted a stolen car in the area of Forest Street and Case Avenue. When police turned around to stop the vehicle, the driver sped away, said Sgt. Mike Ernster, a St. Paul police spokesman.

“The vehicle was driving alleyways and side streets very recklessly, to the point where officers lost sight of it due to its speed as it accelerated away from them,” Ernster said.

Soon after, police were notified of a two-vehicle crash at Payne and Jenks avenues, about half a mile from where they last saw the car. The collision involved the stolen car.

Police were told multiple people ran from the car into the surrounding neighborhood. Officers converged on the area and started to set up a perimeter to search for the people who fled. They then heard several gunshots, Ernster said.

Officers discovered the wounded man — who was shot more than once — in the yard of a home on Cook Avenue, just off Payne Avenue, about two blocks from the crash. Another man, armed with a handgun and identified as the homeowner, was found with the suspect, Ernster said.