ATWATER -- The Atwater Police Chief and another man are hospitalized after shots were fired Tuesday evening along the 500 block of Montana Avenue West.
Atwater Police Chief Reed Schmidt's car was rammed by a man driving a mini van around 9:10 p.m at the intersection of Fifth Street South and Montana Avenue West. The incident then escalated leading to Schmidt shooting the man, said Kandiyohi County Sheriff Dan Hartog.
"At that point Reed and that guy got into an altercation," Hartog said.
Both men were transported to Rice Memorial Hospital. Schmidt, who listed in fair condition, was transported with non-life threatening injuries, Hartog said. The condition of the other man was unknown at the time of publication.
At the scene Tuesday night, deputies from the Sheriff's Department outlined the intersection with yellow tape. A pair of sneakers and a coat lay abandoned in the middle of the intersection next to a spot of blood several feet from the crushed vehicles. Neighbors stood at the edge of yards watching as authorities hustled around the scene.
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Hartog would not release the name of the man involved in the incident. Hartog also refused to comment on further details until more investigation could be done.
"I've asked the BCA to come in and asst us in the investigation," Hartog said, referring to the Minnesota Bureau of Crime Apprehension crime lab.
