Following Arrest of Man, Robbinsdale Police Evacuate Residents From Fire
Robbinsdale police say a 34-year-old man was taken into custody on Saturday evening after a house fire broke out shortly following his arrest. The incident occurred at 5:32 p.m. when officers responded to a report of an unwanted person refusing to leave a residence on the 3200 block of Halglo Place.
Upon arrival, officers located the suspect, who also had active warrants for his arrest, on the second floor of the home. He was taken into custody without incident. However, as officers were placing the suspect into a squad car, they heard several loud popping noises. Turning back, they noticed flames coming from a second-story window of the residence, the same area where the suspect had been detained just moments earlier.
The officers quickly secured the suspect in the squad car and immediately notified dispatch to send the fire department. They then re-entered the burning home to evacuate several residents and animals. During the evacuation, some individuals re-entered the residence and had to be evacuated multiple times. Police say there were no injuries reported among the residents or the first responders.
Fire crews from Robbinsdale, Brooklyn Center, Osseo, Minnetonka, West Metro, and Golden Valley responded to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to nearby structures. The home sustained significant damage, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Hennepin County Fire Investigation Team, along with Robbinsdale police, worked late into the night to determine the origin of the blaze.
The suspect was subsequently booked into the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center on probable cause for arson in addition to his outstanding warrants.
"The officers on the scene chose to run into a burning building, at their own peril, to save the lives of other people and animals. These were truly heroic actions," said Captain John Elder of the Robbinsdale Police Department.
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