Scary stuff

I woke up this morning, and I could hear some helicopters circling around the lake (I only live 7-8 blocks away from Phalen).  I thought that it might be a nice morning for a quick walk down to the lake, but then I decided to search on the internet to see what kind of festival might be going on (perhaps something for May Day?) and I was shocked to find this article on the StarTrib's website:

MAPLEWOOD POLICE OFFICER FATALLY SHOT NEAR LAKE PHALEN

A manhunt is under way in St. Paul after a Maplewood police officer was shot  and killed this morning near Lake Phalen.

Police from several agencies are involved in the search for at least one suspect following the shooting which occurred around 7 a.m., said Paul Schnell, a St. Paul Police Department spokesman.

Authorites are using canine dogs and helicopters as they search for the suspect in an area near English Street and Arlington Avenue on the east side of Lake Phalen.

Police have set up a large perimeter in the area as they search for the suspect or suspects.

Police will hold a press briefing this morning to give more details about the incident.

This shooting was a little too close for comfort for me (I wouldn't be surprised if our house is within that "large perimeter" that the police have set up), and I really hope that they find the suspect(s) soon.  My dad is a police officer, and these recent cop killings are starting to make me more nervous about what my dad does everyday.  I'm also nervous that whoever shot the officer could be lurking somewhere in a nearby neighborhood, so I've got my doors locked, and my phone is ready just in case I see any suspicious activity in my neck of the woods.

UPDATE:  The following article from kare11.com gives more information about the situation:

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Police are looking for two suspects after another officer was fatally shot around 6:50 a.m. in Maplewood near Lake Phalen.

Sgt. Paul Schnell says the officer was responding to a carjacking that happened around 6:30 a.m. when someone walked up and shot him in his car.

Schnell says investigators believe the shooter was one of the two men involved in the carjacking. Police are looking for a white male in a white t-shirt and a black male wearing a red cap and have hundreds of officers searching the area.

Schnell says the suspects are armed and may be driving a black GMC Envoy. If you see anything suspicious, call 911 immediately.

Schnell says the Maryland Avenue and Johnson Parkway area is locked down as police look for two suspects. A command post is set up at Arlington and East Shore Drive.