Standoff after Gaylord police respond to mental health crisis

A man has been hospitalized after he threatened to kill himself and engaged in a standoff with police in Gaylord.

The Gaylord Police Department was called to Michael Foods shortly before noon Monday for a man who was inside his semi-truck having a possible medical emergency.

An officer who made contact with the 51-year-old male inside the truck noticed the man was armed with a handgun.  “The male held the handgun to his head, threatened suicide, and challenged officers to shoot him,” says a press release from Gaylord Police.

After an approximate one hour and 15-minute standoff, the man was taken into custody without incident and was transported to a hospital on a mental health transport hold.

Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including the Sibley County Sheriff’s Office and police departments from Winthrop and Arlington.