Man Crashes Car On I-94, Fires At Cops After Breakup: Police

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man is accused of crashing a car, firing at police, and spitting on law enforcement after his girlfriend broke up with him.

Eddie J. Freeman, 23, was charged with six counts of assault, including "transfers bodily fluids or feces at or onto officer." He remains in the Hennepin County Jail on a $300,000 bail.

If convicted, Freeman faces up to 20 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

On Sept. 21 at about 10 p.m., Minnesota State Patrol troopers were dispatched to Interstate 94 and Dowling Avenue in Minneapolis on a report of a single-car crash.

As troopers were en route, they received additional information that shots had been fired. They also received a description of the suspect.

Trooper Mark Vande Steeg approached Lowry Avenue with his squad lights and sirens activated.

Steeg put his spotlight on a person who matched the description of the suspect, intending to stop him.

The suspect — identified as Freeman — fired multiple gunshots toward Steeg, leaving a bullet in the squad car, according to the criminal complaint. Steeg returned fired without hitting Freeman, authorities said.

Minneapolis police responded, and Freeman continued to fire his weapon, according to authorities.

Freeman threw his handgun as he became surrounded by more police, according to the criminal complaint.

Officers collected the gun and Freeman was taken into custody. Freeman spit in the face of an officer who was assisting in the arrest, investigators said.

At the crash site, a woman informed police that Freeman was her boyfriend. She explained that she had been driving while Freeman was in the passenger seat. During their drive on I-94, she told him their relationship was over.

According to the criminal complaint, Freeman then grabbed the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to crash.

The woman, whose vision was blocked by the deployed airbags, reported hearing multiple gunshots outside her car. Police found a bullet hole in the driver’s side door.

Two Good Samaritans who saw the crash ran over to the car to see if anyone was injured. However, as they got closer to the vehicle, Freeman pointed a gun at them, the criminal complaint states.