Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Heather Marie Dahlberg
Age : 46
Gender : Female
Race : White
Date : 08/23/2022
Location : Dellwood Street South and 11th Avenue SW
City : Cambridge
County : Isanti
State : Minnesota
Agency : Isanti County SO, Isanti PD, Minnesota State Patrol
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Vehicle
Event : Killed in police chase crash
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/20/2022, 46-year-old Heather Marie Dahlberg was critically injured during a Cambridge Police Department pursuit that ended when the vehicle in which she was riding crashed into a tree and caught fire at Dellwood Street South and 11th Avenue SW in Cambridge. Dahlberg subsequently died from her injuries on 08/23/2022.
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The reason police initiated the encounter was a driver's-license issue discovered after an officer saw the vehicle leaving Cambridge City Park after hours. At approximately 11:37 p.m., the officer was patrolling the park when he saw the vehicle leaving and ran its license plate. The check showed that the vehicle's registered owner had a canceled driver's license.
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The officer attempted to stop the vehicle at 2nd Avenue SW and Fern Street South. As the officer approached, the driver drove away. At approximately 11:38 p.m., the officer began pursuing as the vehicle rapidly accelerated south on Fern Street.
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According to the Cambridge Police Department, the officer lost sight of the vehicle as it rounded the corner near Cambridge Medical Center. Police reported that the officer terminated the pursuit at approximately 11:39 p.m. and radioed dispatch that the pursuit had been discontinued. The active pursuit therefore lasted approximately one minute.
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A short time later, while driving south on Dellwood Street South, the officer encountered the vehicle after it had crashed into a tree at Dellwood Street South and 11th Avenue SW. The vehicle had extensive front-end damage and was visibly on fire. Both the driver and Dahlberg remained trapped inside and required extrication.
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Cambridge Fire Department personnel responded and extricated both people from the burning vehicle. Dahlberg survived the initial crash but died from her injuries three days later.
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The initiating reason for this fatal pursuit was therefore that a license-plate check showed the vehicle's registered owner had a canceled driver's license after the officer observed the vehicle leaving a city park after hours. The fleeing conduct occurred only after the officer attempted the traffic stop.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
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The Cambridge Police Department officer who initiated the traffic stop and pursuit was not publicly identified in the records located.
