Man fatally shot by police officer in Cottage Grove

A man suspected of passing counterfeit bills dragged a Cottage Grove police officer with his car before the officer fatally shot him, police said Tuesday.

Craig Woolery, Cottage Grove's director of public safety, said the incident happened at about 11:50 p.m. in a commercial area on the 8200-block of Hadley Avenue. The officer had stopped a vehicle police had connected to a complaint the previous day about counterfeit money.

"When the driver was asked to step out of the car, the driver then put it in gear and started to flee and ended up dragging the officer about 560 feet," Woolery said.

During the incident, the officer being dragged shot the 28-year-old suspect, who was taken to Regions Hospital and pronounced dead, Woolery said. The officer was treated and released from the hospital with minor injuries, he said.

Police said a woman and an 11-month-old baby were in the vehicle at the time, but the woman was not arrested.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner was expected to release the suspect's name later Tuesday.

The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the incident because it was an officer-involved shooting.