St. Paul police end hourslong standoff outside home without arrest

A standoff that included a SWAT team and closed down a residential street east of downtown St. Paul for several hours ended without an arrest Monday night after officers determined the shooting suspect was not inside the home.

St. Paul police responded just before 4 p.m. to reports of a man shooting at someone he knew in a vehicle on Winthrop Street S., department spokeswoman Molly McMillen said in an email.

Officers found spent bullet casings and a vehicle with bullet holes, according to a police incident report. A woman at the scene said her ex-boyfriend assaulted her with a glass object before shooting at her vehicle, the report says.

The suspect is a 24-year-old man who has convictions for fourth-degree assault of a prison guard, assault of a police officer, robbery and car theft, court records show. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Several agencies responded, and witnesses believed the suspect had fled into a nearby home, McMillen said. St. Paul's SWAT team positioned itself outside the house on the 2100 block of Glenridge Avenue in the city's Highwood Hills neighborhood. The house is about half a mile from the initial shooting. The response included drones, at least one K-9 and an armored truck parked in the house's driveway.

"A perimeter was established at that location, the scene was secured, and nobody was harmed," McMillen said.

One officer repeatedly used an amplified speaker device, telling the suspect that he was under arrest and to come out with his hands up. The command was later modified to say they had a search warrant.

At least six SWAT officers moved into the house, and one began loudly warning that he was going to send in a K-9 and that "he will bite you."

Glenridge Avenue, which has houses lining both sides of the street, was taped off during the police standoff. More than 30 residents were standing along sidewalks and nearby yards, some seated in lawn chairs as they watched the standoff unfold. Others were told to stay inside their homes and watched from the window.

Hushan Gaye, an 11-year-old who lives down the street, said he heard about eight gunshots earlier in the afternoon.

"Right as I was going back inside I heard three more shots," he said. "I was scared, so I was going back inside the house and I told my dad."

Josh Thomas, 18, said he gets tired of the frequent incidents and police presence in his area, noting that it's starting to feel normal.

"Especially in this area, stuff likes this happens all the time," he said while watching the standoff from the sidewalk.

Several residents said they hadn't seen anyone enter the house.

Officers determined the suspect was not inside at about 7 p.m.

As the armored vehicles began leaving, officers could be seen searching the house with flashlights and collecting evidence.

The suspect was not arrested as of Tuesday evening, but police do not believe there is any ongoing danger to the public, McMillen said. The investigation continues.