WINSTED, Minn. — McLeod County authorities say a suspect was found dead in a Winsted home Monday following an hours-long standoff that began after two deputies were shot while executing an arrest warrant.
Sheriff Tim Langenfeld said the deputies were inside the home when they were hit by bullets and managed to escape. Both deputies were treated at a local hospital and released.
Langenfeld confirmed that the suspect then barricaded himself in a nearby home for several hours, surrounded by police, sheriff's, and SWAT personnel. Just before 6 p.m. a bomb robot was used to enter the home, and law enforcement then used drone technology to check the structure's interior. It was at that point the man's body was discovered, dead of what authorities say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The sheriff also told reporters that the deputies were serving several warrants related to possession of child pornography, but provided no details.
Sheriff Langenfeld expected all nearby residents would be allowed back in their homes Monday night.
"Right now, the situation is secure. Nobody else is in danger," said Sheriff Langenfeld. "Please send prayers, not only for our deputies, but for the family involved since they're also going through something right now."
The situation began around noon Monday when a heavy police presence responded to the scene near the intersection of Fairlawn Ave. E and First Street. Officers from the Winsted and Hutchinson Police Departments, McLeod County Sheriff's Office and local SWAT teams set up a perimeter.
Former neighborhood resident Tom Ulrich told KARE 11 that his daughters, ages 4 and 2, were among children at a nearby daycare who were evacuated. All the children were evacuated in an armored vehicle.
Winsted is located about 45 miles west of the Twin Cities metro area.
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