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Crime, Law and Justice
MPR News Staff

Firefighters detain man after he crashes truck into Minneapolis fire station

Fire truck
A Minneapolis Fire Department fire truck. Minneapolis firefighters came to the aid of a woman being pursued by a man Thursday night, sheltering the woman and then detaining the man after he drove into the fire station's garage doors.
Brandt Williams | MPR News 2012

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Updated: 5:30 p.m.

Minneapolis firefighters came to the aid of a woman being pursued by a man Thursday night, sheltering the woman and then detaining the man after he drove into the fire station's garage doors.

Minneapolis police said it happened just after 7 p.m. at Fire Station 8 at the corner of West 28th Street and Blaisdell Avenue.

The man — identified in court documents as 52-year-old Shawn Coates of Minneapolis — was arrested and faces four charges. The woman and firefighters were not injured.

According to information from police and from court documents, the woman was trying to get away from a man she knew, who would not stop following her. She sought help at the fire station, and the man drove his pickup truck onto the station's driveway.

"Firefighters placed themselves between the truck and the female and gave clear commands for the male to leave," police said in a news release. "The male continued to drive slowly towards the female. Firefighters opened the bay door in an attempt to retreat into the station with the woman. The male attempted to drive past firefighters into the station when his vehicle struck one of the open bi-fold doors.”

The criminal complaint alleges that one of the firefighters had to step behind a garage door pillar to avoid being hit by the truck, and that firefighters then used an axe and other tools to disable the vehicle.

Coates allegedly also verbally threatened the fire crew as they detained him until police officers arrived and arrested him.

Authorities said the station remained in full service after the incident.

Coates was charged Friday with four counts including two felony assault counts, felony threats of violence and misdemeanor property damage.