Crime & Safety
Attempted Murder Charges, $10M Bail For St. Michael Standoff Suspect
Brandon Gardas, 39, had a dozen guns in his home during the 44-hour standoff in which he almost shot a deputy in the head, charges state.
ST. MICHAEL, MN — A man accused of staging a 44-hour standoff with police in St. Michael last week was charged Monday with a slew of felonies.
Brandon Gardas, 39, of St. Michael, faces two counts each of first-degree attempted murder of a peace officer, first-degree assault and drug possession, as well as single counts of making violent threats and possessing ammunition, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.
Police found an arsenal of firearms in Gardas’ home after they shot and arrested him June 22, according to the complaint.
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Gardas had at least a dozen weapons in his home during the prolonged standoff, including three AK-47s, three AR-15 rifles, a shotgun and four handguns, the complaint states. A loaded handgun was found next to Gardas after he was shot, police said.
Gardas also had body armor and more than 12,400 rounds of ammunition for his weapons, police said.
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Wright County deputies were called to Gardas' home near St. Michael Parkway and Kalland Avenue Northeast around 12:37 a.m. June 21 after someone saw him armed with a rifle while arguing with a woman, Sheriff Sean Deringer said.
Gardas had also pointed a gun at his pastor during an argument the day before the standoff started, police said.
Officers obtained a search warrant for Gardas’ home and surrounded his property before contacting him June 21 “to ensure the area (was) safe and secure,” according to the complaint. That launched an armed standoff that lasted about 44 hours.
Police spent much of June 21 unsuccessfully trying to convince Gardas and his son to leave the home before using an armored vehicle to knock down doors and deploy tear gas inside around 5:50 p.m., the complaint states.
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Gardas’ son left the home about 15 minutes later, and police continued to use tear gas in the home for almost an hour before Gardas threatened to shoot officers, according to the complaint.
Gardas later fired at several police vehicles and almost shot a Wright County deputy in the head, police said. He also threatened to shoot 90 rounds into the neighborhood before firing another dozen shots at an armored vehicle around 9:40 p.m. June 21, the complaint states.
The standoff continued through the night and into the next afternoon, with Gardas repeatedly refusing to leave his home, police said.
Police decided around 7 p.m. June 22 to enter Gardas' home to arrest him and end the standoff, according to the complaint.
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Officers shot Gardas with a non-lethal foam round after they found him hiding under blankets, police said. Gardas then shot at police with an assault rifle while running through the home before officers found him at the top of a stairway holding the gun, the complaint states.
Gardas refused to drop his gun and surrender before he shot at officers on the St. Cloud Police Department’s SWAT team and armored vehicles, police said.
An officer shot Gardas in the “upper chest” area, and he was then shot with another non-lethal foam round and tased before police arrested him around 8:30 p.m. June 22, the complaint states.
Gardas was flown to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition by the next day.
Police said they found a dozen weapons in Gardas’ home and more than 11 ounces of marijuana, about 2.5 ounces of psilocybin mushrooms and an ounce of marijuana wax.
Gardas was formally charged Monday in Wright County court, where a judge set his bail at $10 million without conditions or $5 million with conditions.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation into the standoff that ended with police shooting Gardas. The bureau leads investigations into shootings by police in Minnesota.
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