Police: Driver Pretended To Be Cop, Ended Up Targeting A Real One In Edina

HENNEPIN COUNTY, MN — A 47-year-old Inver Grove Heights man is facing felony charges after authorities say he confronted a Maple Grove police officer while pretending to be law enforcement, then fled the scene.

Luke Aaron Reuter is charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, fleeing police, and two counts of impersonating an officer.

On Sept. 11, around 9:40 a.m., a Maple Grove officer in uniform was driving an unmarked squad on Interstate 94 when another vehicle began tailgating him, according to a criminal complaint.

The officer exited onto southbound Highway 169, where Reuter's vehicle continued to follow closely, cut him off, and then slowed down in front of him.

The officer briefly activated his emergency lights and siren to warn the driver to slow down, then turned them off and continued driving. A short time later, Reuter pulled alongside the officer, appeared to "point" a cell phone at him, and again cut him off, investigators said.

The officer tried to exit onto Highway 62, but Reuter followed him through several turns before both vehicles reached 77th Street in Edina.

That’s when Reuter illuminated a small red light from his visor, got out of his car, and walked toward the officer wearing a hat that said "F*** ICE," authorities said.

He pointed his phone like a body camera and acted as if he was conducting a traffic stop, the complaint states.

When the officer announced he was under arrest, Reuter tried to drive around him several times, nearly striking the officer’s legs, authorities said. Reuter then fled and was not immediately located, according to the complaint.

Dispatchers later said Reuter had called 911, claiming the officer was impersonating police.

During the call, he said: "I’ll follow him to where he goes and we will figure this out" and "He’s gonna f***ing learn you don’t do that," according to court documents.

Reuter was arrested hours later in Inver Grove Heights. A search of his vehicle turned up multiple flashing lights, a police-style flashlight, and a dash camera, investigators said.

The incident comes after the killing of Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Melissa and Mark, in which prosecutors say Vance Boelter impersonated a police officer by using a fake squad car, uniform, and gear to gain access before opening fire. Authorities say Boelter also shot John and Yvette Boulter, who survived, and attempted to kill others during the attack.