A standoff that lasted nearly 18 hours in Corcoran ended Thursday morning with the release of a hostage and the arrest of a suspect who was subsequently hospitalized in critical condition, police said.

The suspect, a 49-year-old man, emerged from a building at 3:25 a.m. Thursday with what Corcoran police said appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was taken to North Memorial Health hospital in Robbinsdale and was listed in critical condition as of Thursday afternoon, a statement from police said.

Law enforcement agencies assembled just after noon Wednesday to deal with an unknown problem in the vicinity of Cherry Lane and Mystique Drive in the west Hennepin County suburb. Upon arrival, officers learned that a person was barricaded inside with a hostage.

Police cars from several agencies, fire trucks and a bomb squad were in the area as the situation dragged into the night. Officers negotiated with the suspect for several hours before the hostage was released, at which point communication ceased, according to police.

The suspect eventually came out, was arrested and transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Staff writer Louis Krauss contributed to this report.