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Crime & Safety

Stolen Vehicle Arrest in Lakeville May Solve Other Cases

Stolen car also had other stolen property in it.

Officer Mike Katzovitz was on patrol one morning this past week when he pulled his squad into the parking lot of a convenience store and ran a routine registration check on a vehicle that was just pulling into a parking spot.

Officer Katzovitz watched as the driver exited the vehicle and walked into the store. A few minutes later, Officer Katzovitz’s computer check on the vehicle revealed that it was stolen out of Minneapolis. Officer Rick Bussler arrived on the scene to assist Officer Katzovitz. When the driver of the stolen vehicle walked out of the convenience store and saw the two officers by the vehicle, he turned and attempted to walk away in the other direction. The officers stopped him and placed him under arrest. 

In the vehicle, the officers found multiple items that appeared to be stolen property, including boxes of tools with a name and telephone number on them. The officers called the number and found that the tools had been stolen overnight in Eagan.

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The victim was impressed that the officers had recovered the stolen property, before he had even discovered that the items were missing. The vehicle was towed and impounded and the investigation continues into the recovered stolen property. The suspect was placed in Dakota County Jail pending multiple felony charges in connection with the stolen vehicle and the stolen property. 

WEEKLY LPD SNAPSHOT

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Sampling of LPD activity for the week of Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, 2012 

Traffic crashes: Alarms: 21 Animal Calls: 25 Medical Emergency Calls: 20 Thefts: 12 Traffic Stops: 145

HEART ATTACK VICTIM SAVED

One of the aspects of police work is that as a police officer working on patrol, you never know if you will suddenly be faced with a lifesaving crisis on the next call or what specialized lifesaving equipment might be needed. Police squad cars carry a wide variety of specialized equipment, but perhaps the most significant addition to our medical equipment has been the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) units. In emergency response calls such as a sudden cardiac arrest, time literally becomes a life or death matter in which minutes and seconds count towards the victim’s survival. 

In emergency calls involving a victim of sudden cardiac arrest, quick application of CPR by persons nearby, rapid activation of the EMS system coupled with rapid response and application of an AED and advanced life support care offer the victim the greatest chance of survival and recovery. 

That is exactly what happened on April 14, 2012 in the early afternoon hours when Officer Rick Bussler, Officer Kevin O’Neill, Sgt. Jason Polinski and Sgt. Andy Bohlen responded to a residence on Judicial Avenue on an emergency call of a 40-year-old male who collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest while working construction on the home. Fortunately, his wife and mother were with him when he collapsed and while his mother performed CPR, his wife activated the EMS system by calling 911. 

Upon arrival at the scene, Officer Bussler quickly attached an AED to the victim, while CPR continued to be administered. The AED delivered a shock and the officers along with LFD firefighters administered CPR to the victim, while the paramedics worked to stabilize him. 

The victim was transported to the hospital and eventually made a full recovery. Just a few weeks ago, all the first responders on the call had an opportunity to meet with the grateful cardiac arrest survivor and his family on September 20, at the Minnesota Science Museum in St. Paul at an event to honor the First Responders. Officer Rick Bussler, Sergeant Andy Bohlen, DCC dispatcher Tiffany Germann, the Allina Paramedics and members of the Lakeville Fire Department who were on the call, were each honored with lifesaving awards. 

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