Eden Prairie police officer returns to work after shooting investigation

The Eden Prairie police officer who shot and wounded a fleeing motorcyclist last year is back at work, following a seven-month Hennepin County investigation.

Sgt. Lonnie Soppeland, who had been assigned to administrative duties while the Sheriff's Office investigated the incident, won't be disciplined further, Eden Prairie police said Monday. Officials said that Soppeland has returned to his regular duties.

Matthew Hovland-Knase, 22, of Bloomington, led police on a chase about 3 a.m. June 20 that reached speeds of almost 100 miles an hour before ending at Eden Prairie Road near N. Lund Road. That's where Soppeland "accidentally discharged" his gun, according to police, hitting Hovland-Knase in the arm.

Hovland-Knase was hospitalized before being sent to the Hennepin County jail. He was convicted last fall of a gross misdemeanor for fleeing an officer.

The county finished the investigation last week but hasn't yet publicly released the documents.

Soppeland began working for the department in 2005, after 12 years in the retail security management industry and two years as a deputy with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, according to the police department. He also served 20 years in the Army National Guard before retiring in 2011.