UPDATE — Tuesday, Oct. 13: The St. Joseph standoff that prompted NCN's Oct. 8 report ended that same morning, and the suspect has been identified and charged. Ernest Gerdes, 39, of St. Joseph, was arrested by SWAT officers at about 6:40 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, after a standoff of more than 10 hours at a home in the 9300 block of County Road 138 in St. Joseph Township, according to a Stearns County Sheriff's Office release reported by WJON and the St. Cloud Times. The incident began at about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7. According to the criminal complaint, as reported by FOX 9, deputies used gas and less-lethal rounds during the standoff, and Gerdes was tased through a window before his arrest. He was treated for minor injuries at St. Cloud Hospital and booked into the Stearns County Jail. Gerdes is charged with first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, threats of violence and criminal damage to property, FOX 9 reported. The St. Cloud Times reported that an extreme risk protection order in the case was granted Sept. 14 and served Sept. 21. The charges are allegations, and Gerdes is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. NCN's inquiry to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office has not received a reply. — National Correspondent Network
ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — A SWAT team was on the scene in St. Joseph, Minnesota, on Thursday morning, Oct. 8, 2026, working to arrest an assault suspect accused of forcing his way into a home with an axe on Wednesday, according to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said the man threatened officers with an axe when they tried to take him into custody.
Officials had been on the scene for several hours Thursday morning and asked the public to stay out of the area while the situation was ongoing, Fox 9 reported.
No suspect name had been released and no injuries were reported as of Thursday morning. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
- National Correspondent Network
