Deputy Kills Man On Mendota Bridge After Standoff, Hostage Situation
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Authorities say that a sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man after a police pursuit that shut down a Twin Cities bridge Monday. Investigators say that the man was holding a woman at gunpoint in the incident.
It began at about 12:45 a.m. as police responded to a disturbance on the 400 block of Yellow Brick Circle in Chaska. A neighbor's surveillance camera shows several officers surrounding and marching towards a home, some who appear to be SWAT.
Neighbor Olivia Davis says the situation caught her completely off guard.
"I see this guy, this cop standing over there with like the shield and like I didn't really know what to do. I kind of stood there for a minute and hesitated. Then he comes running over to me and he's like, 'Oh what are you doing out here?'" Davis said.
She says the officer ordered her to run back to her house.
"I made sure all my doors were locked. I just kind of sat up in my room with my blinds closed, trying to not think about it," Davis said.
Police say a man with a handgun was threatening to shoot a woman who lived at the residence, before taking her hostage and fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
Authorities identified the man as 31-year-old Arlan Kaleb Schultz of Richfield.
A pursuit ensued into the early hours of the morning; sparks were the only light seen from traffic cameras near Highway 212 and 101 in Chanhassen as law enforcement used stop sticks to try and disable the fleeing vehicle.
"We got another big tire blown out," said a dispatcher over the police scanner.
The car kept going and additional police agencies joined in the pursuit. Law enforcement wasn't sure what they had on their hands but they quickly learned that it was a dangerous situation.
A 911-only cellphone call was received from the driver of the car; he warned police to stop their pursuit.
It eventually came to a stop on the Mendota Bridge with law enforcement close behind. Officers watched as the man and woman got out the car, and as he pulled her over the edge of the railing along with himself. Members of the Tri-City tactical team attempted to talk to the man, convince him to put down his weapon and let the hostage go.
It's unclear what happened next, but what we do know is Carver County Sgt. Kurt Schoening then shot and killed the 31-year-old man. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said the individual died due to a gunshot wound.
The woman was not injured, though officers said she was distraught. Neighbors tell WCCO they believe to two people involved were in a relationship.
Portions of the incident were captured on body cameras and dash cameras.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the incident. The deputy who shot the man has been put on administrative leave, which is standard for officer-involved shootings.