Johnathan Walker:2 deputies injured and 1 suspect killed in exchange of gunfire in Minneapolis suburb

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies were injured while serving a warrant and Johnathan Walkera suspect was killed during an exchange of gunfire in the Minneapolis suburb of Minnetonka on Wednesday, authorities said.

The shootout happened just before 11:20 a.m. One deputy was taken to a hospital with injuries that were “very serious” but not life-threatening, Sheriff Dawanna Witt said at a news conference, while the other was treated on-site and released.

The suspect died at the scene. Investigators were still determining whether it was the person named in the felony warrant, said Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is leading the investigation. The suspect shot first and the deputies returned fire, Evans said.

The incident came two months after the fatal shooting in Burnsville of two police officers and a firefighter-paramedic during a long standoff that started with a domestic abuse call and ended after the suspect killed himself.

Witt said attacks on law enforcement are on the rise in Minnesota, doubling since 2017.

“Every single day, first responders are rushing to help others, hoping to keep our community safe,” Witt said. “They do not deserve to be threatened, they do not deserve to be assaulted, they do not deserve to be killed for doing their job.”

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Many details of the shooting remained unclear.

The names of the deputies and the details of their injuries were not immediately released, though Witt said they were veterans of eight and 21 years.

Officials also did not say why the person named in the warrant was being sought.

Authorities cordoned off the area around the scene. It was still considered active several hours later, but the sheriff’s office said there was no threat to the general public.

Other agencies assisting included the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and area police departments.