Brainerd Daily Dispatch (Minnesota)
LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. - An attempted traffic stop by a Long Prairie Police officer led to 10-hour standoff with a suicidal man Saturday night.
The standoff began about 10:30 p.m. after the man refused to stop for Long Prairie Police Officer Duane Breiter. The man, whose name wasn’t released, instead drove to his home on the 400 block of First Avenue North, the police department reported.
As Breiter approached the vehicle he saw the man grab a shotgun, the police department reported, and Breiter radioed for assistance.
A negotiator and SWAT teams from Douglas, Wadena and Hubbard counties were called to assist, along with the Todd County Sheriff’s Department and the State Patrol.
Highway 27 and blocks surrounding the man’s home were shut down and several residents were vacated from their homes during the negotiations.
The standoff ended about 8:30 a.m. Sunday when the man surrendered to authorities and was taken in for a mental health evaluation, according to the police department.
In a news release, Chief Chuck Eldred was thankful the incident did not end in injury or death. He also thanked all the agencies that assisted during the negotiation process, especially Douglas County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Alquhist, who for more than eight hours negotiated with the suicidal man and brought the matter to a resolution.