Man fires shotgun at Stearns Co. deputies during hours-long standoff: sheriff

PAYNESVILLE TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says a man is in custody after a standoff over the weekend that led to shots fired at deputies.

Emergency response in Paynesville Township

Timeline:

The situation started around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday with the report of a domestic dispute at a home on County Road 34 near County Road 180 in Paynesville Township, about 70 miles northwest of the Twin Cities.

After speaking with the victim, deputies say they had probable cause to arrest a 58-year-old Paynesville Township man. However, deputies say the man refused to exit the home and made threats to deputies – saying he had multiple firearms he was willing to use inside the home.

The standoff turned into a SWAT response, with the Stearns-Benton SWAT team being sent to the scene around 1:50 p.m.

Negotiators worked for hours to resolve the situation with no luck. Around 7:30 p.m., the sheriff's office says the SWAT team "breached" a bedroom window.

Shots fired at Stearns County deputies

What we know:

After the window was breached, deputies say the suspect fired off multiple rounds from a shotgun at SWAT team members. One deputy was hit by what investigators believe was a birdshot pellet in his safety glasses.

The Stearns County Sheriff credits its armored SWAT vehicles with protecting other deputies from the shotgun blasts.

The suspect was ultimately taken into custody. Despite the perilous situation, deputies say there were no reported injuries to either the suspect or any law enforcement officers at the scene.

Searching the home after the arrest, deputies found multiple firearms and spent shell casings inside the home.

What's next:

The suspect is being held in Stearns County Jail, awaiting charges. Since he hasn't been formally charged, FOX 9 is not yet identifying the suspect.