A 44-year-old man was cited Friday for dancing in the streets.

Officers first heard him singing at the corner of Harvard Street Southeast and Washington Avenue Southeast, said Steve Johnson, deputy police chief for University police.

It was his own song, Johnson said, which included vulgarities and cursing at the police.

The man flipped off police when he saw them coming toward him, Johnson said.

The man kept walking down the street, but then went into the middle of Washington Avenue Southeast, against traffic, and kept singing his song and dancing to it, alternating from his left to right leg.

When he saw police coming up to him again, he began screaming.

Officers attempted to stop the man, but he ran from police over the Washington Avenue Bridge.

The intoxicated man was caught near Comstock Hall and cited for dancing on the streets, a city of Minneapolis ordinance, but not for public intoxication.

Almost car-jacked

On Monday night, a woman almost had her car keys and purse stolen.

She parked her car at a meter on Oak Street Southeast and was getting out of the car when someone yelled for her to give up her keys and tried pulling them from her grip, Johnson said.

The suspect also tried stealing her purse.

Aaron Nalezny, 27, of Minneapolis called 911 when he heard the woman screaming as he was walking on University Avenue Southeast.

While the woman screamed, other witnesses came over and surrounded the suspect, but Johnson said the suspect was able to break free and ran away.

Nalezny said, “I (wasn’t) going to chase the guy, he might have a gun or something.”

The woman got a bruised knee and scraped elbow, Johnson said.

Nalezny later saw the same suspect walking on Fourth Street Southeast and called police.

The same suspect also went into The Hideaway on Fourth Street Southeast in Dinkytown and asked the owner to call a cab for him.

The owner, Wally Sakallah, said he knew something wasn’t right as soon as the man came into his store. He immediately called police.

“I can tell,” he said. “I have this gift.”

But the suspect left the store before police arrived.

Police were able to review tapes the store owner had and the victim was able to identify the suspect.

At this time the suspect has not been caught.

Snow ends chase

On Sunday night, an officer saw and heard a vehicle revving its engine.

The officer ran a routine check of the vehicle and it came up stolen.

Officers began to pursue the vehicle with their lights and sirens on, said Greg Hestness, University police chief.

Officers terminated the pursuit at 12th Avenue South and East 29th Street because of snow-packed roads.

Ron Reier, public information officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, said officers can stop a pursuit if it’s a safety factor for the officers or the public.

“We don’t always chase people,” Reier said.