Red Wing man killed girlfriend before police standoff: Charges
RED WING, Minn. (FOX 9) - Prosecutors charged Darryl Dion Nixon with murder on Tuesday after a woman was found dead inside an apartment following an hours-long standoff in Red Wing.
The standoff
Just before 5 p.m. on Nov. 17, police were dispatched to an apartment on 1000 block of Putnam Avenue in Red Wing for a "suicidal man with a handgun." Nixon had allegedly made comments that the victim, identified as A.B. in the criminal complaint, had been shot and was inside the apartment.
An officer at the scene pounded on the apartment door several times, and Nixon, who police say was armed, opened the door. Once the officer noticed the weapon, he retreated down the stairs and told him to drop the gun, but Nixon pointed the weapon at his head and repeatedly said "just shoot me," charges allege.
The Emergency Response Team (ERT) arrived at the scene and took over the negotiations. At one point, authorities say Nixon stood at the top of the stairs, yelling for officers to shoot him. He proceeded to fire one round up in the air, and an ERT member fired a less lethal round at Nixon, who retreated into the apartment.
Detectives said after about three hours of talking, Nixon walked out of the apartment and was taken into custody without incident. Charging documents say that during the negotiation, Nixon allegedly said he had shot A.B, apologized for what happened and made several comments stating, "This is what they wanted."
The crime scene
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the apartment and located A.B. on the couch with visible wounds. Charging documents said a dozen 9mm shell casings were recovered near her body, and said she appeared to have lost a significant amount of blood. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
While searching the scene, law enforcement also recovered a handgun and two cellphones used to communicate with authorities and family members.
What happened before the shooting?
Nixon’s mother told authorities that prior to the shooting, her son and A.B. had quickly stopped by her house to pick up food and appeared in "good spirits" before they left. About 15 minutes later, she claimed Nixon called crying that "A.B was gone" and that he had shot her.
The woman informed authorities that her son possessed numerous firearms, and he suffered from severe mental health issues, saying he "hears and sees things that aren’t really there," charging documents read.
The criminal complaint did not give a motive for the shooting.
What’s next?
Nixon, 41, is facing a second-degree murder charge and appeared in court Tuesday morning. The judge set his bail at $1 million with conditions or $2 million without conditions.
He remains in custody at the Goodhue County Jail.