APPLETON, Minn. — A man and a woman were arrested Friday following a shootout and standoff with deputies in Appleton.
According to the Swift County Sheriff’s Office, authorities received a 911 call around 9:15 a.m. reporting two people breaking into a vehicle and firing a gun in the 100 block of Reuss Avenue. Deputies and officers from Appleton and Benson responded to the area.
While officers were en route, dispatchers were told the suspects had also fired shots at a home on Reuss Avenue. Deputies later located the pair in a green SUV in a wooded area near the railroad tracks. When the suspects exited the vehicle, the man began shooting at deputies, who returned fire before the pair retreated back into the SUV.
Law enforcement established a perimeter and called in the West Central Area SWAT Team. Authorities attempted to get the suspects to surrender using less-lethal options, including pepperball rounds, but the pair did not comply and appeared to be under the influence of narcotics, officials said.
Around 1 p.m., officers deployed tear gas into the SUV, prompting the man and woman to exit the vehicle and surrender. Both were taken into custody, treated at separate hospitals, and later booked into the Douglas County Jail.
No deputies, officers, or civilians were injured in the incident. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting with the investigation.
