Minneapolis, MN 1
(3:35 PM Officer Assistance Call) A code 3 call comes in. Sgt. Larry Wilens responds to it on 46th street. The suspect is barricaded. Officers tried to serve a warrant to 63 year-old Kenneth Lynn and he shot at police twice through the door, but missed them. (Tactical Team Briefing) Deputy Chief Doug Smith says they asked Ken to come out to talk to him for neighborhood problems – smell and trash. They are trying to make contact with him and find out from neighbors if anyone else lives there since he could have hostages. The teams face is covered, they are inside perimeter, they can use gas on him if necessary. If he has a long rifle he can get them. They have to stay back and use high risk entry tactics. The team has to survey the house, will be close enough where he could hit them with a rock. (Negotiation Team Command Post) Neighbors stated he suffered a head trauma injury in WWII, but has never been to the hospital for mental illness, he has very poor eyesight, cataracts, heavy smoker, emphysema, bronchitis, hasn’t drank for 13 years, but if he’s drinking again he’ll be very hostile and, negative. He just was in detox 2 weeks ago – a good sign he’s been drinking again. His personal info is on the board “DOB 8/20/27 or 29, divorced, ex-wife Mildred (lives with Gail) alcoholic who gets hostile when he drinks, has 4 children.” One cop knows him, didn’t know he was a problem. Sgt. Charles Resch says he’s a loner, has 3 or 4 old cars, his mom died 8 years ago, he’s kind of weird. The cop who was shot at says it went right between them, splinters of the door hit him. Officer Rick Stanek says he has a 300 rifle, 3-4 shotguns with ammo, a German Luger, 38 & 45 revolver and a 25 automatic according to his son. Two weeks ago he called in for a report and they took him to detox instead of taking a report so he’s mad at the cops. They get a call of an attic. Cops back up with blast shield, they run behind a car, stay low. They hide behind a car, want to get close to shoot gas and others wait next door at 4800. They want to negotiate, get him on the phone, if he won’t answer they’ll throw in a phone. Anything to talk him out, gas is the last chance, no turning back then. Sgt. Robert Gretton explains about the phone they are throwing in that will go back to the team directly to negotiate with them. The team goes up heavily armed with a shield, one smashes the window with a crowbar and the next tosses the phone in a bag. They call at 4:44 PM that it is in. They beep it from the station and Larry calls for him to pick up. Outside they call in to pick up the phone. Larry wants to help, tells him open it up and pick it up. He picks up. He doesn’t blame him, they are both sick of listening to the beeper, what’s going on? He can hear him. Then he hangs up. (6:25 PM) He said he’s sick of the beeping and cut the line. Officer Dave Mattson is outside in camo gear. They want cold beers, fresh women and a pizza. Larry calls again. Sgt. John Hennessy says to be very authoritative, this is what they want him to do, no more playing around, for his own good. (8:08 PM) Larry tells him he has to talk to him. Ken says he had to tend to his dog’s foot and put peroxide on it. What’s all the yelling about? They want to talk to him. He says they like to hear themselves talk it’s so loud. Larry says it’s been an hour and half since he talked to him. People are going to react to him. What is it going to take to get him out? He wants Cordell and Ruben Johnson. He says Cordell is there. He says he’s not. That’s what they tell him, he can’t come on though. He won’t trust a cop, it’s like trusting Dillinger. Larry says if he puts Cordell on will he come out. He might. If he does something for Ken he has to so something for him. The team outside creeps around to get drinks and come back, knees are killing them and they are thirsty. They cut his power. He doesn’t give a crap, doesn’t need it. He needs him to come out, he has people lined up. Are you afraid of...
