Man hit by minivan in Minneapolis mosque lot; police make arrest, investigate as possible hate crime

Minneapolis police arrested a man Wednesday night in connection with the hit-and-run of a pedestrian in a south Minneapolis mosque parking lot that police are investigating as a possible targeted hate crime.

The 37-year-old suspect was arrested about 9:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of 2nd Avenue S., according to police. Chief Brian O’Hara called the arrest “a testament to the hard work and determination of our officers and investigators.”

Police were called just before noon to the Alhikma Islamic Center, at 116 E. 32nd St., according to a news release.

The man was in the parking lot retrieving items from his car when the suspect drove a minivan toward him at a high speed, police said. The man tried to run out of the way before the minivan swerved and struck him, sending him into the air, a video from the mosque shows. The driver of the van then drove off, police said.

The injured 36-year-old man, who video shows ran away as the van took off, was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. He is a staff member for the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR said in a statement calling for a bias crime investigation.

O’Hara said in the release that investigators were familiar with the suspect, and the release described him as a man who has a “history of trespassing and acting erratically at the mosque and in the neighborhood.”

“We won’t tolerate any crime in our city, but hate crimes and crimes against our houses of worship are particularly troubling because of the very real widespread fear they generate and the potential division they create among our residents,” O’Hara said in the release.

Additional officers worked to locate the suspect and the van, and police patrols were enhanced in the area to protect those who come and go from the mosque, the release stated.

”I am proud of the swift and strong response by members of the Minneapolis Police Department,” O’Hara said. “Within hours, this suspect was in custody, and that will help put our community at ease.”