Mpls. police say technology helped solve killing

Minneapolis police arrested two murder suspects Wednesday night, solely using a combination of video and sound technology.

The city has what's called "shot spotter" technology that immediately identifies where gunshots occur, and automatically turns area police cameras in that direction. There are 150 such cameras throughout Minneapolis.

Multiple cameras caught a Dodge Intrepid fleeing after Christopher DeRonde was shot about two weeks ago at 30th Avenue North and Colfax Avenue.

Cpt. Amelia Huffman said this is the best local example yet of the shot spotter and camera technology at work.

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"This is probably the most high-profile case where it's been really the only clue we had at the beginning," Huffman said. "We use in some combination shot spotter technology as well as the public safety cameras across the city in many many many cases. But much of time that's not the only piece of information. In this case we didn't have any of that."

The two suspects have yet to be charged.

Mayor R.T. Rybak said the city has had this audio-video technology in place for about four years.

"We're just saying that this is a great example of how this technology that we use everyday has been especially effective in this case," he said.

Rybak says the city's new emergency management center, set to open in October, will increase Minneapolis' ability to use the technology.