Crime & Safety
State Takes Over St. Michael Standoff, Police Shooting Investigation
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads investigations into shootings by police in Minnesota.
ST. MICHAEL, MN — State officials are leading the investigation into a standoff in St. Michael that lasted more than 40 hours before ending Wednesday night as police shot the suspect.
The Wright County Sheriff’s Office was expected to provide details at a news conference Thursday about the standoff. But county officials put out a message Thursday morning saying there would be no conference as the case was turned over to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The bureau leads investigations into shootings by police in Minnesota.
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Officials identified the man who barricaded himself in his St. Michael home Tuesday and Wednesday as 39-year-old Brandon Gardas.
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Police shot Gardas as they entered his home Wednesday night to arrest him almost two days after the armed confrontation started, according to Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer.
Gardas was airlifted to a local hospital where he was in stable condition Thursday, KSTP reported.
Deringer said deputies were called to Gardas' home near St. Michael Parkway and Kalland Avenue Northeast around 12:37 a.m. Tuesday after someone saw a man with a rifle arguing with a woman.
Deputies learned from witnesses that a woman and two minors had left Gardas’ home before police arrived, though one minor was still inside, Deringer said.
Police saw Gardas pacing around his home with a long gun but determined the minor “was not in danger by remaining there,” Deringer said.
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Deputies tried to contact Gardas at 2:20 p.m. Tuesday but he “refused to cooperate” and communications with him were “sporadic” for several hours, according to the sheriff.
The minor walked out of Gardas’ home shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, Deringer said, but the standoff continued for another 26 hours.
The confrontation that forced neighbors to evacuate the area for about a day came to an end around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday when police shot Gardas as they entered his home, according to officials.
Gardas, who had warrants out for his arrest, fired several shots at police during the standoff, Deringer said.
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