A 39-year-old St. Joseph man was arrested Thursday morning after an overnight standoff that began when he allegedly broke into a home armed with an axe and assaulted someone, prompting a response by two SWAT teams; chemical munitions were used before St. Cloud SWAT forced its way inside. Ernest Henry Gerdes was taken into custody at about 6:40 a.m. following hours of failed negotiations, and he was already living under a court-ordered firearms restriction when the standoff began.
A 911 Call Sets Off a Tense Night
According to klfdradio.com, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at approximately 6:22 p.m. Wednesday reporting that an armed man had broken into a home in the 9300 block of County Road 138 in St. Joseph Township. When officers arrived, they found Gerdes inside his residence still holding an axe, and he refused repeated requests to leave, the outlet reported. KSTP reported that investigators said a man forced his way into a home with an ax and assaulted someone, though that station placed the Stearns-Benton SWAT Team's response at the 400 block of 1st Avenue NE in St. Joseph — a detail not reconciled with the County Road 138 address cited elsewhere.
The Stearns-Benton SWAT team was activated at 7:48 p.m. Wednesday, per the same klfdradio.com account, as Gerdes was heard yelling threats at law enforcement officers stationed outside his residence. He refused to surrender even as negotiators worked the scene for hours, and the SWAT team eventually deployed chemical munitions.
St. Cloud SWAT Takes Over, Breaches the Home
The St. Cloud Police Department's SWAT team arrived at approximately 3:25 a.m. Thursday to relieve the Stearns-Benton team, which had been on scene for hours. At approximately 6:40 a.m., St. Cloud SWAT members breached the residence and took Gerdes into custody, ending the standoff that had stretched through the night, the station's report notes. KSTP separately reported that part of the home was damaged during the standoff, though it remained unclear what caused the destruction.
Gerdes was treated at the scene by Mayo Ambulance paramedics for minor injuries before being taken to St. Cloud Hospital. He was later booked into the Stearns County Jail on charges of first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, threats of violence and criminal damage to property, per the same account.
A Red-Flag Order Was Already in Place
Court records cited by the outlet show Gerdes was already subject to an extreme risk protection order, or ERPO, granted on September 14 and valid for one year. Minnesota's red-flag law, which took effect January 1, 2024, allows a judge to bar someone from possessing or buying firearms if the person is found to pose a significant danger of bodily harm to others and/or a significant risk of suicide if they possess a firearm, according to the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Under that law, a family or household member, a chief law enforcement officer, a city or county attorney, or a guardian can petition for an order — neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances are not authorized to do so — and a long-term order can last between six months and a year.
Statewide figures help put that framework in context. In the law's first year, 135 ERPO cases were filed across Minnesota, and law enforcement officers initiated 71% of those petitions while family members brought 16%, according to the Star Tribune. Courts granted 95% of temporary petitions and 78% of long-term orders during that period, with an average of three firearms removed per respondent in cases that ranged from one gun to as many as 47.
It remains unclear who sought the September order against Gerdes or what evidence supported it, and no information has been released about the identity or condition of the person he's accused of assaulting. KNSI reported on the overnight standoff and arrest, noting that multiple agencies — including Avon police, Waite Park police, St. Joseph police, the St. Joseph Fire Department and Mayo Ambulance — assisted at the scene alongside the two SWAT teams.
