Rochester Police Standoff Ends Peacefully After Four Hours
Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - Around 30 Rochester police officers spent four hours outside a southeast Rochester home Tuesday night during a standoff that began after a man fired several shots into the air while in his front yard.
Officers were called to the house located at 928 11th St SE, near Lincoln elementary school around 7:30 p.m., and found the man had gone inside. He refused to come out and threatened to shoot any officer that tried to enter.
Officers called the Emergency Response Unit and negotiators to the scene and advised neighbors to evacuate their homes or go to the lower level until the situation was resolved. The man finally surrendered peacefully around 11:30 p.m. A handgun was found inside the home.
The man, identified as 26-year-old Levi Byler, was taken to St. Mary's Hospital for a mental evaluation. A spokesman says it’s suspected he had been using meth and was dealing with mental health issues.
Officers were called to Byler’s home two days earlier, after he fired several rounds inside the house. He was also taken in for a mental evaluation after that incident and then discharged. This time, he is expected to face criminal charges.