UPDATE: Gunfire in Holmen on Thursday night, as suspect tries to flee drug bust

Police officer, hit by car, fires at assailant

The drug suspect arrested near Festival Foods in Holmen Thursday night appears to be a repeat offender from La Crosse.

County jail records show that 24-year-old Brandon Ritter is accused of possessing meth, resisting arrest, and endangering safety.

Ritter allegedly hit a La Crosse policeman with his car, as he tried to avoid several cops who were investigating drug activity at Holmen Square.

The policeman drew his gun and fired shots at the car, but it’s believed that the driver was not shot.

Ritter has more than a dozen other La Crosse County cases on his court record.  He might not appear in court until Tuesday.

ORIGINAL STORY:

There was gunfire in a Holmen supermarket parking lot last night, as police closed in on a drug suspect.

Around 9 p.m., investigators tried to arrest a man outside Festival Foods, when he started driving and hit a La Crosse policeman.

The officer shot at the car, which then crashed into a snowbank where police made the arrest.

Both the suspect and the injured officer were treated at a hospital. The driver was, apparently, not hit by the officer’s gunfire.

Now, the suspect has been booked in jail, on charges of delivering meth and battery to a law officer.