A man who allegedly shot at police in a 15-hour siege in rural western Minnesota has been charged with five counts of attempted murder, court documents this week said.
Man faces five charges of attempted murder after shootout with cops in rural Minnesota
Aerial police drones pivotal in standoff between Kasey Paul Willander and deputies.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 4, 2024 at 5:58PM
Kasey Paul Willander, 27, fired a shotgun from just 10 to 15 feet away at a police Humvee, blasting a hole in its hood, a criminal complaint amended Tuesday said.
Police SWAT members in the Humvee struck Willander multiple times to end the standoff, which began on Sept. 14 near Clarkfield, Minn., 15 miles south of Montevideo, the complaint said.
Willander faces seven counts of first and second degree assault and a charge for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, said the amended complaint.
He had previously been charged with burglary after police accused him of stealing his great-uncle’s shotgun prior to the standoff.
The amended criminal complaint offers new details on what happened after Willander barricaded himself in his father’s home.
Eight members of law enforcement fired at Willander during the siege, which left him hospitalized but in stable condition at HCMC. No one else was injured during the incident, state authorities said.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has said it will review body camera footage as part of an investigation into the use of force by law enforcement.
According to the charges:
The standoff began after Willander’s mother told law enforcement on the afternoon of Sept. 14 that her son was behaving strangely while possessing a knife and a bow.
Police said Willander left his mother’s house and went to his great-uncle’s house to take a semi-automatic Remington Model 1100 shotgun.
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Around 5 p.m., law enforcement said it received a call that Willander had a rifle and was at his father’s home nearby. Scott and his wife Stacy Willander locked themselves in and were told by police to go inside their basement. As deputies evacuated them, Willander pointed a long gun in their direction, a warrant said.
Police used an aerial drone to find Willander, who was hiding in a grove of trees. He allegedly entered the home through the garage, turned off the cameras inside, and started barricading the doors.
Around midnight, SWAT members exchanged fire with Willander, shooting him in the thigh, the complaint said.
At around 6:17 a.m., a deputy watching via the aerial drone saw Willander leaving the home’s garage. Shortly after, Willander and SWAT members in a Humvee exchanged fire.
After getting hit, Willander dropped his weapon, but picked it up again and tried to raise it, leading to SWAT members shooting him again multiple times, the criminal complaint said.
Willander is prohibited from possessing firearms after pleading guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony, in 2015.
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