Bemidji man threatens parents, leads police on two hour search
A Bemidji man is in custody after allegedly threatening his parents with a handgun, and leading police on a two hour search in subzero temperatures.
The 20-year-old man fired a handgun inside his parents' eastern Bemidji home Thursday evening, then fled on foot.
Investigators say he told his parents to call the police, saying he was ready for them.
Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin told local residents to stay in their homes while officers searched the area.
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Severely cold temperatures made the situation more urgent, Mastin said.
"You're trying to track down someone who is potentially a very significant dangerous threat," he said. "At the same time they also could succumb to the cold and freeze to death."
They found the suspect two hours later in a neighbor's gazebo. A SWAT team surrounded him and tried to negotiate.
"He continued to taunt officers," Mastin said. "He said things like 'I'm ready,' and, 'I can get a few shots off, before you shoot me.'"
One member of the SWAT team shot the suspect with a beanbag round. He was taken to the hospital, then the county jail.
Several officers had minor frostbite, but Mastin said there were no significant injuries.