Officer Fires at Armed Man During Rochester Standoff

Jun 29

An officer fired their weapon during a standoff with an armed man early Sunday morning in southwest Rochester, police say.

Officers were first dispatched around 10:45 p.m. Saturday, June 28, to a home in the 3800 block of Willow Ridge Drive Southwest for a reported domestic dispute.

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Initial information indicated a man involved in the incident was armed with a knife, but he left the scene in a vehicle before officers arrived.

About 90 minutes later, around 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Rochester police located the suspect’s vehicle in another part of southwest Rochester and attempted a traffic stop. The man kept driving until he arrived at a residence in the 2700 block of 1st Avenue Southwest.

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Police say the man got out of the vehicle while armed with a rifle and refused to comply with commands. During the encounter, an officer discharged their service weapon, though no injuries were reported. The man then ran into the residence, the department said.

A SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called in to manage the situation. Authorities say the man eventually surrendered without further incident around 4:45 a.m. and was taken into custody.

The Rochester Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are now investigating the use of force. As of publication, the identities of the man and the officer who fired their weapon have not been released.

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