Appleton man ends 10 hour standoff with police

by Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio

Collegeville, Minn. — Local authorities received a call early Sunday morning that a 25-year-old Appleton man, described as suicidal and depressed, was threatening to shoot police officers if they came to his apartment.

The man was identified as a Marine Corps combat veteran with sniper and special operations experience. After a 10 hour standoff, a negotiator was able to persuade him to surrender to SWAT team members. He did so without resistance early Sunday afternoon.

He was taken to the Appleton hospital where he was treated for ingesting vodka and sleeping pills, then transferred to a mental health center in Willmar, Minn.

Police officers say they recovered a high-powered rifle equipped with a telescopic sight and ammunition from the scene.