Man receives stayed prison sentence in Pine Island standoff that triggered shelter-in-place alert
NOTE: This article has been edited to correct the facts of the sentencing.
PINE ISLAND, Minn. — A southern Minnesota man convicted of assault after firing at law enforcement during an hourslong standoff in 2022 has been sentenced.
According to court records, Michael Molitor, 39, received a 10-year prison sentence on Wednesday that was stayed for five years. He will not go to prison unless he violates the terms of the stayed sentence. In April, he entered a Norgaard plea for first-degree assault. The plea means he believes the facts of the case indicate his guilt, but he is unable to remember the circumstances of the crime.
According to the criminal complaint, the standoff began with a welfare check in Pine Island in late August 2022. A Goodhue County deputy went to Molitor's home after a caller told dispatch Molitor had threatened to kill himself, specifically making reference to "suicide by cop."
Molitor allegedly told authorities he had firearms, and that he had a woman handcuffed in his house.
A SWAT team arrived in the afternoon and, after some hours of communication and observation, used chemical munitions to try to force Molitor out of the house. While authorities deployed those munitions, Molitor allegedly fired nearly two dozen shots, some of which struck an armored vehicle and a nearby home.
Eventually, Molitor exited the home, apparently unarmed. Police used less-lethal rounds to subdue him and took him into custody. There was no woman handcuffed in the house.
As part of the sentencing, Molitor has been placed on supervised probation for five years.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything. In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.
