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Man charged in Le Sueur standoff threatened to "kill the whole police department," charges say

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LE SUEUR, Minn. — A southern Minnesota man faces several felony charges after allegedly locking himself in a room with his son during a standoff with police.

The 39-year-old Le Sueur man is charged with kidnapping, two counts of domestic assault, threats of violence, child endangerment and third-degree criminal damage to property, court documents filed Monday show. He was arrested on Saturday after the standoff.

The incident began when a woman called police to report a man slashing tires and locking himself in a home, according to a criminal complaint.

Police were aware of the man because he was "upset with [the Le Sueur Police Department] over a recent case" and "he had an extreme temper, carried knives, and had done time," the complaint states.

A responding officer spoke to the woman who called, who identified the man as her boyfriend and said his 6-year-old son was inside the house with him. She also said the man was suicidal and threatened to kill her, and that he had a "'Rambo' style knife."

Authorities entered the home and learned the man was upstairs. Positioned on the stairs, they attempted to get the man to come out and release the child. During the standoff, the man allegedly said he was "gonna do something," described himself as a "loose cannon" and said he had "extremely bad PTSD." He threatened to "kill the whole f***ing police department," the complaint states.

"I kept this demon inside for so long, it's out now," he allegedly said.

The complaint did not say how the standoff was resolved, but police on Saturday said the man was arrested after about nine hours and the child was safe. The complaint states the child "suffered extreme emotional trauma as a result of being held as a hostage." He was released to the woman's custody. 

The woman said the episode was prompted by a call from their landlord and past familial disputes. The man believed they were going to be evicted, she said, and also suspected her of cheating.  

The man has two past domestic assault convictions, investigators said.


If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.

In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.  

Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.

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