Sheriff: Carver County deputy shoots, kills man who held hostage at gunpoint on Mendota Bridge

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Carver County deputy shot and killed a 29-year-old man who was holding a female hostage at gunpoint on the Mendota Bridge early Monday morning, according to the sheriff. The hostage did not suffer any serious injuries.

Carver County Sheriff Jason Kamerud and Chaska Police Chief Ryan Seibert issued a joint press release on the incident at 3 p.m. Monday afternoon. They said the incident started with a report of a disturbance on the 400 block of Yellow Brick Circle in Chaska at 12:45 a.m. Monday, where a man armed with a handgun was threatening to shoot a woman inside the home.

The sheriff said the man took the woman, believed to be a hostage, and drove away with officers in pursuit. The chase ended almost 30 miles later on the Highway 62 Mendota Bridge over the Minnesota River.

Negotiators with the Tri-City Tactical Team tried to persuade the suspect to surrender, but the sheriff said the man continued to hold the hostage at gunpoint until he was shot and killed by a Carver County deputy. Sheriff Kamerud said “the suspect created a dangerous situation for the female victim, motorists, other people in that area, and law enforcement.”

The deputy who shot the suspect has not been identified and has been placed on administrative leave.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting.