South St. Paul standoff ends in man's arrest
SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. — Authorities arrested a man after an hourslong standoff at an apartment building in South St. Paul Sunday night.
It began with a report of one person threatening another with a firearm, according to the South St. Paul Police Department.
When officers arrived to the 200 block of Marie Avenue around 3:30 p.m., they found a man in a hallway with a rifle. Police said he ran into an apartment and refused to comply.
Officers learned that the victim had been helping a family member move out of their apartment when a man came out of his apartment and began yelling at and insulting them. The victim allegedly told the man to leave, to which he responded, "I am going to go look for a gun."
The man returned to the apartment the victim was in and knocked on the door. The victim says they could see through the door's peephole that the man had a gun.
A witness reported hearing the suspect say, "I have a gun, I am going to shoot you," multiple times, according to the criminal complaint.
Multiple police departments and the South Metro SWAT team responded to assist.
Around 10 p.m., the SWAT team used a "chemical irritant" to force the man out of the apartment, police said. He was arrested and booked into Dakota County Jail.
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Police said the suspect is a 62-year-old man who is a resident of the apartment complex. He was charged with one count each of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and threats of violence, according to a complaint filed in Dakota County on Tuesday.
While executing a search warrant, charges say police found multiple firearms and ammunition in the man's apartment.
The public was asked to avoid the area during the standoff and surrounding apartment units were evacuated.