PINE ISLAND, Minn. – The criminal complaint against a Pine Island man in a police stand-off Saturday had more drama than outsiders realized at the time. Not until two days later, when the criminal complaint was filed, did details or clarifications come out. Based on the criminal complaint, this is what happened
Saturday, 10:45 a.m.: A Goodhue County police dispatcher in Red Wing took a call from Pine Island that a man had made suicidal statements and threatened to commit suicide-by-cop. A Goodhue County sheriff’s peputy was dispatched to 105 Sprie Court Southeast in a leafy part of town to make a welfare check.
Moments later: The deputy reported back that the man in the house claimed to be armed and holding a woman hostage. The man said police would need to come get her.
11:20 a.m.: In a conversation for almost an hour, the man, by now known to be Michael Molitor, said he had multiple firearms. He threatened to shoot at the deputy’s squad vehicle. Molitor then was seen in the garage with an AR-15 military-style weapon and wearing body armor and drinking beer.
Soon thereafter: A Goodhue County SWAT team and the joint Rochester police Department / Olmsted County emergency response unit arrived andbegan forming a plan for Molitor to surrender.
6:10 p.m.: Police made their first move, deploying a flash bang in front of the home. Molitor ran to the rear of the house.
7:30 p.m.: Molitor emerged tin front of the home with body armor and a rifle on his upper body. He spoke with negotiators by phone outside. The rifle was in a “low ready position” towards an armored SWAT vehicle. Molitor went back inside. The SWAT team then used the arm on the armored vehicle to breach a window in the hom=use. Officers fired five chemical rounds into the house to isolate Molitor into a single room. While deploying the chemicals, 20 and 22 rounds of gunfire erupted from inside the house. One round struck below the driver side window of the armored vehicle. Moments later Molitor reappeared in the garage. Appearing still to be armed, he refused to comply with police demands to get on the ground. A member of the tactical team fired a pepper ball at Molitor. He retreated.
8:20 p.m.: Molitor re-appeared and was brought into custody. Emergency teams searched the home and did not find another person inside.
Molitor. Booking mugs at Olmsted County jail.
