UPDATE: Shooting reported in Blooming Prairie
Authorities said a BP officer made a traffic stop on a motorcycle driving near Third Avenue Northeast and Main Street; the motorcyclist shot himself before the officer got out of his squad. Staff photo by Kay Fate
A routine traffic stop in Blooming Prairie ended in a suicide Thursday night, officials said.
According to Police Chief Greg Skillestad, an officer spotted a motorcycle with a taillight out on Third Avenue Northeast near Main Street about 6:30 p.m., and initiated the stop.
The driver, identified only as an adult male, “immediately shot himself,” Skillestad said.
“Our officer had no interaction with him at all; no words were exchanged,” he said. “I’m not even sure he was completely out of the car yet.”
The officer called for additional law enforcement and ensured his own safety before approaching the man, Skillestad said, “then got the ambulance there.” Officers and ambulance personnel performed lifesaving measures, which were unsuccessful.
“We did everything we could,” Skillestad said.
Officials were working into the night to notify the man’s next of kin.
No other injuries were reported.
Members of the Blooming Prairie Police Department, Blooming Prairie Ambulance Service, Steele County Sheriff’s Office, Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Patrol responded to the scene.