UPDATE: 7-year-old girl safe after lengthy standoff
Jul. 8—A seven-year-old girl is safe Monday morning after a standoff in Austin that was around 11 hours long.
The girl believed to be the daughter of a man at the heart of the standoff, was rescued from a white vehicle parked at a home on 16th Avenue NW just after 9 a.m. Monday morning. The man was taken into custody and according to the Austin Police Department's Capt. Todd Clennon is looking at local charges after reviewal of the case by the Mower County Attorney's Office.
Clennon said concern was high regarding the safety of the child given that edged weapons were discovered in the front of the car as well as two cans of bear spray and a container of gasoline.
"Our primary concern, of course, was the young girl," Clennon said, adding. "It was unpredictable given the man's mental state,"
According to Clennon, Monday's incident began in Owatonna when police were called to the scene of a suspicious person in a public place. After making a contact, the man, who has yet to be identified, fled officers striking squad cars in the process. After an attempt to locate, the Minnesota State Patrol picked up the man's vehicle on Highway 218 and at one point the vehicle's tires were flattened
The car entered Austin before parking in the driveway of a home believed to have been known by the man. Hours later, the situation was brought to a close by trained negotiator with APD.
It's unknown at this time what charges exactly the man will be facing.
