The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has identified the Minneapolis police officers who fired their weapons during a Jan. 14 shootout with a suspect.
Zedrick Andrew Cooper, 36, was charged in Hennepin County District Court last week with three counts of first-degree assault and one count of ineligible possession of ammunition and a firearm following the brief chase that ended with the gunfight in north Minneapolis. Cooper was shot by police several times. Police have said he is expected to survive.
The officers who fired their guns were identified as Felix Alvarado, a four-year veteran; Cory Krautkramer, a seven-year veteran, and Kyle Pond, a seven-year veteran.
Officers who fired their less-lethal projectiles were Aaron Pearson and Nathan Sundberg. Both have been with the department for seven years.
According to the charges against Cooper, a confidential informant told police Thursday that a man driving an SUV pointed an AK-47 at him at the Full Stop gas station at N. Lowry and Logan avenues. A woman also called 911 and reported that a man driving an SUV pointed a gun at her at the same location.
Police arriving at the scene found a vehicle matching the description, and the driver later identified as Cooper fled.
During an attempted turn, Cooper's vehicle slid across an intersection, struck a stop sign and became lodged on the curb.
Six officers approached and ordered him to put his hands up and exit the vehicle, the charges said. Cooper revved the car engine in an apparent attempt to flee, causing the front wheels to spin.
