Walker man is wanted now in the Twin Cities

A 26-year-old Walker man sought by Twin Cities authorities after allegedly stabbing a police K-9 officer early Tuesday in Blaine is now wanted in Cass County for violating his probation on two felony cases.

The warrants for LC Wesley Armstrong were issued Tuesday as a direct result of the stabbing of the K-9 officer in Blaine, said Cass County Attorney Christopher Strandlie.

"His probation agent here got word that there was this incident occurring down there," Strandlie said. "Apparently (Armstrong) had been doing fairly well on probation. This was kind of a surprise to his agent."

Armstrong was on 10 years probation for 2008 convictions for second-degree manslaughter and first-degree burglary involving an assault. He served about four months in jail for the crimes.

The second-degree manslaughter conviction stemmed from an Aug. 1 vehicle crash in which Armstrong's passenger, his girlfriend LaToya Burks, died. Burks was nine months pregnant at the time. Her 5-year-old daughter also was in the vehicle but not injured.

The first-degree burglary involving assault conviction stemmed from a Sept. 5, 2008, incident in which Armstrong kicked open the door of a Remer house and threatened the people inside.

Armstrong has been splitting his time between Walker, where he lived with his grandmother, and the Twin Cities, where he was going to college, Strandlie said.

Strandlie said he is anticipating Armstrong would be apprehended and charged in the Twin Cities. When available he'd be transported to Walker to appear in court on his probation violations, Strandlie said.

In Tuesday's incident, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported a pursuit began about 3:45 a.m. in Minneapolis. Police observed open alcohol containers in the vehicle, which then fled northbound on Interstate 35W into the northern Twin Cities suburbs.

Numerous law enforcement agencies, including Blaine police, joined the chase, and they were able to partially disable the vehicle using stop sticks. The vehicle finally was stopped by a State Patrol trooper using a pursuit intervention tactic, the Star Tribune reported.

Armstrong, who was driving, and a female passenger ran from the vehicle. The woman was caught but Armstrong ran into a wooded area, with a police dog on his heels, the Star Tribune reported.

The dog caught up with him and "came back out of woods and had been stabbed" multiple times, a Minneapolis police spokesman told the Star Tribune, but the dog was expected to survive.

As of early Tuesday night, police had not located Armstrong.

MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.