An Albert Lea man is in jail today after he allegedly ambushed police officers, shooting one in the chest, over the weekend.
21-year-old Devin Matthew Weiland reportedly opened fire on officers as they responded to a noise complaint at the Shady Oaks apartment building that may have resulted from gunshots or fireworks early Sunday morning. Upon arriving at the scene, a gunman opened fire, striking a police car at least twice and an officer in the chest, according to a press release from the Albert Lea Police Department (ALPD).
“In my opinion, it was an ambush situation,” the city’s director of public safety said after the incident, per the Star Tribune.
The ALPD also described the situation as an ambush in its press release.
The officer who was shot did not sustain any life-threatening injuries, as the bullet struck his bullet proof vest. The officer was discharged from a Mayo Clinic hospital in Albert Lea, according to a press release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Two other bystanders were also struck by the initial volley of gunfire and sustained non-life threatening injuries, reports Minnesota Public Radio.
The gunman then retreated and barricaded himself in an apartment for about nine hours before he was arrested around 11 a.m. Sunday. During the standoff, “a Minnesota State Patrol trooper discharged their firearm,” the DPS said. The shooter sustained shrapnel injuries.
The barricaded suspect also apparently fired on a police vehicle. A member of law enforcement who asked to remain anonymous sent Alpha News a photograph that appears to show a tactical vehicle that was struck by gunfire during the standoff.
By the time the situation was resolved, SWAT teams and responders from 22 emergency units were deployed to the scene, reports the DPS.
As law enforcement moved bystanders to safety during the incident, they discovered a dead body in the Shady Oaks apartment. The body is unrelated to the shooting, according to the DPS.
