Sheriff's Deputy Shot Dead by Suspect he was Monitoring at Minnesota Hospital
The suspect died shortly after the deputy.
— -- A veteran sheriff's deputy was shot and killed at a Minnesota hospital this morning by a suspect whom he had been monitoring, officials said.
Aitkin County Sheriff’s Investigator Steven Martin Sandberg was monitoring the welfare of Danny Leroy Hammond at St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Sandberg, 60, had worked at the Sheriff’s Office for 24 years. Hammond, 50, was the subject of an investigation in Aitkin County, officials said.
Around 5:15 a.m., Hammond got out of his hospital bed and "engaged in an altercation" with Sandberg, officials said. Hammond then took Sandberg's gun and shot him, officials said.
A hospital security guard came into the room and used a Taser on Hammond, officials said. Hammond then "experienced a medical emergency" and both Sandberg and Hammond were taken to the hospital's emergency trauma center.
Both the officer and the suspect died, officials said.
No other injuries were reported, officials said, adding that "there is no ongoing threat to public safety."
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is investigating.
