The hospital asked the Aitkin County Sherriff’s Office to help monitor 50-year-old Danny Hammond, a patient who was also being investigated in connection to a domestic-related incident. The hospital asked the sheriff’s department to station a guard due to the seriousness of the domestic incident, according to the report.
Steven Sandberg, who had worked with the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office since 1992, was sent to guard Mr. Hammond. There was a struggle between the two that resulted in Mr. Hammond taking the deputy’s firearm. Mr. Hammond fired several shots, killing the deputy, according to the report.
Security officers responded to the incident and a Taser was used on Mr. Hammond. He died a short time later.
Police said no hospital personnel or other patients were injured during the incident. Regarding the occurrence, St. Cloud Hospital spokesperson Kurt Otto said, “We’re very appreciative for the acts of our staff who contained this and kept it from being a bigger tragedy,” according to the report.
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