Man charged with starting gunfight with Minneapolis police

A Minneapolis man was charged Friday with allegedly shooting at Minneapolis police Thursday and sparking a gunfight that landed him in the hospital.

Zedrick A. Cooper, 36, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with three counts of first-degree assault and one count of ineligible possession of ammunition and a firearm.

Cooper was shot by police several times and wounded. He remains hospitalized. Police have said he is expected to survive.

The shooting occurred about 8:30 a.m. along Dowling Avenue near N. Vincent Avenue.

According to the charges, 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 in 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 alleged attempt to flee, causing the front wheels to spin.

Officers tried to open the locked car doors as they continued to give commands, according to the complaint. An officer broke the driver's side window with a flashlight.

Cooper had a gun, prompting the officer to yell an alert to the other officers as Cooper fired shots at them, the charges said.

Officers sought cover behind squad cars and fired at Cooper, who was transported to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale.

Two squad cars were apparently struck by gunfire.

Cooper's criminal record includes convictions for threats of violence, theft and drug possession, among others.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708

Twitter: @ChaoStrib