A Battle Lake man faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after he allegedly fired a gun outside his home in a densely populated trailer court, triggering a SWAT standoff that ended with him punching a police K9 in the head.
Clinton Max Hunnicutt Jr., 67, is charged with threats of violence, intentional discharge of a firearm endangering safety, reckless use of a dangerous weapon, two counts of obstructing the legal process and assaulting a public safety dog. He was charged Monday in Otter Tail County District Court.
According to the criminal complaint, dispatchers received a call around 4:38 p.m. Friday, April 17, about a man who told someone in the home he was going outside to kill himself. The caller heard a gunshot shortly after.
The residence is in a trailer court about 100 feet from the Tiny Tykes Childcare and Preschool and blocks from Battle Lake Public School. The shot was fired around 4:30 p.m., a time the complaint describes as having the highest level of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
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A SWAT team responded, with members from the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office and the Fergus Falls Police Department. The response included the use of an armored BearCat vehicle. By the time officers arrived, Hunnicutt had gone back inside the residence with the firearm. The person who called 911 was able to safely leave the home.
Investigators learned Hunnicutt has prior military experience, which heightened concern given his knowledge of firearms and tactics, the complaint states. He hung up when officers called him by phone.
Officers established a perimeter and began evacuating surrounding trailers. They observed Hunnicutt inside the residence appearing to surveil the area. He came outside holding a towel draped over his hands as if concealing something underneath. When officers on foot ordered him to come forward, he yelled back, dropped the towel and went back inside, the complaint says.
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Officers then approached with two armored vehicles and a K9. Hunnicutt came out, went back in, then came out again and sat in a chair. He showed officers he did not have a firearm in his waistband but refused to surrender. When he stood up and said he was going back inside, officers fired a less-than-lethal round that had no apparent effect, the complaint says.
The K9 was deployed and bit Hunnicutt’s left forearm. Hunnicutt punched the dog in the head multiple times and pulled the K9 away from officers before he was taken into custody.
Officers found a spent shell casing outside the residence. A search warrant turned up several firearms, including a Hi-Point 9mm pistol consistent with the casing.
After being read his Miranda rights, Hunnicutt told investigators he had argued with his wife, grabbed the pistol and fired it into the ground outside. He denied threatening suicide.
Hunnicutt’s next court appearance is set for May 13.
