WATCH: Stolen vehicle drives next to crowded playground, police say, 10-year-old in custody

Minneapolis police describe a frightening incident in which children near a playground were nearly hit by a stolen car driven by a 10-year-old boy.

Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the boy was in custody over the incident.

The incident occurred on September 20 at Nellie Stone Johnson School in North Minneapolis. A video provided by police shows the vehicle driving through the green area of ​​the playground and getting dangerously close to playground equipment as school staff try to get the children out of harm's way.

No one was injured in the incident, which can be seen in the video player below.

Police said they were able to identify the 10-year-old, who they say has at least 30 entries in his police records dating back to May 2023. He was listed as a suspect in more than 12 cases.

“It is unimaginable that a 10-year-old boy could have been involved in criminal activity of this magnitude without effective intervention,” O'Hara said. “For a 10-year-old boy, prison is not an acceptable option. But the adults who can stop this behavior in the future must act now to help this child and his family.”

Minneapolis police said the family was cooperative and asked for help to prevent their son or anyone else from being injured or killed.

“This is just one example of the revolving door we're dealing with – arresting and re-arresting the same juveniles for car theft and other violent crimes,” O'Hara said. “This is a complex issue and we must immediately bring together all entities involved in the intervention to find short and long-term solutions.”

The boy is currently in the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center on probable cause second-degree assault. His name has not been released.