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Royalton standoff with man on roof leads to SWAT response, school lockdown

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Published  October 9, 2025 2:13pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 9

The Brief

    • Royalton Elementary School was placed on lockdown on Wednesday during a standoff that occurred nearby.
    • Police say they were searching for a man on unrelated arrest warrants when he climbed onto his roof during their encounter.
    • The man remained on his roof for hours despite efforts to negotiate a surrender. Eventually, he surrendered after injuring himself jumping from the roof of his home to a shed.

ROYALTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police in Royalton pursuing a suspect with several arrest warrants encountered an hours-long standoff after he successfully climbed onto his roof and refused to come down.

Royalton standoff

What we know:

The Royalton Police Department says on Oct. 8 its officers pursued a suspect for multiple warrants issued for their arrest, including fleeing a police officer, obstructing the legal process, drug possession, DWI and multiple counts of theft.

Police say they initially encountered the suspect outside his home, but while in a fenced yard he was able to flee from police before they could enter – making his way to the roof of his house and refusing to come down.

At that point, support from additional agencies was called to the scene, and the Royalton Elementary School was placed into a precautionary lockdown due to the proximity of the location. Police say classes resumed as normal during the lockdown, while arrangements were made for the safe release of students at the end of the day.

Standoff suspect flee attempt, arrest

Dig deeper:

Throughout the next several hours, police say they attempted to negotiate with the man to come down from the roof, but he refused, despite multiple chemical and organic irritants being deployed.

Police say that around 9 p.m. the suspect tried to jump from the roof of his home onto a shed and flee, injuring his arm in the process.

As a SWAT team surrounded the shed, police say he then complied with orders, and climbed down a ladder provided, before being arrested.

He was then transported to St. Gabriels Hospital by Mayo Ambulance for a medical evaluation, prior to being taken to the Morrison County Jail where he awaits charges.

The Source: Information provided by the Royalton Police Department.

Crime and Public SafetyMinnesota