62-year-old South St. Paul man charged after hours-long standoff
Police block streets Sunday night for the standoff (FOX 9)
SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is facing charges after an hours-long standoff at an apartment building in South St. Paul on Sunday.
John Gogala, 62, faces charges of assault and threats of violence for the standoff that lasted more than six hours.
It all started around 3:24 p.m. when police responded to a report of a man with a gun inside a building along Marie Avenue near 2nd Avenue South. The 911 caller said he heard the man say: "I have a gun, and I'm going to shoot you."
Later on during the investigation, officers spoke with the victim, who said he had been helping a family member move from their apartment when the neighbor, later identified as Gogala, came out of his apartment and started a disturbance.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim reported that Gogala came out of his apartment and began yelling and insulting the victim. Then, he reportedly said he was "going to go look for a gun" which he apparently found.
Moments later, looking through the apartment peephole, the victim said Gogala was holding a gun that looked like a shotgun and was pointing it at the door and yelling. In the criminal complaint, police only refer to the weapon Gogala was allegedly wielding as a long gun.
The 911 caller, another neighbor, heard the commotion and called the police. When police arrived, they spotted an older man in the building holding a gun.
Officers ordered the man to drop the weapon. Instead, according to charges, he said, "I'm good... I'm going back into my room."
The complaint says the man then returned to his apartment, sparking the standoff. Police brought in drones and a SWAT team.
Gogala wasn't arrested until hours later, around 10 p.m. Inside his apartment, officers found multiple guns and ammunition.
Gogala is being held in Dakota County Jail. His next court appearance is scheduled for later this month.