St. Cloud Hospital Security Guard Cleared In Suspect's Death
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Stearns County Attorney's office says they won't file charges against a St. Cloud Hospital security guard who subdued a suspect with a taser, which resulted in the suspect's death.
The incident occurred at the hospital on Oct. 18, when 50-year-old Danny Leroy Hammond gained control of Aitkin County Sheriff's deputy Steven Sandberg's gun and fatally shot him. Hammond was a suspect in an investigation, and the deputy was assigned to watch over him.
Soon after, the security guard entered the room and tased Hammond. The suspect then died of a medical emergency -- likely a cardiac arrest caused from the combined use of a the taser, previously existing heart problems and the altercation with Sandberg, according to the Stearns County Attorney's office.
In a report filed by the Attorney's office Wednesday, investigators called the security guard's use of the taser "reasonable and authorized."
The report also detailed Hammond's long criminal history including a drug overdose and attempted suicide. More recently, attorneys say Hammond used a firearm to kidnap and assault a woman, and authorities issued a warrant for his arrest.
Authorities were watching over Hammond in the hospital that day and planned to take him into custody once he was medically cleared. In fact, just as the incident occurred, the hospital security guard was escorting another officer to Hammond's room to relieve Sandberg of duty.
