Police Called in Family Members, Shut Down Railroad During Standoff on I-35E Bridge

After 37-year-old Oudone Xiong was arrested for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in 2011, he told police investigators that he "needed help with his issues," according to criminal records.

Xiong's statement turned out to be an ominous prelude to the police standoff that occurred Tuesday afternoon on the Interstate 35E bridge between Mendota Heights and St. Paul. Officers say the St. Paul man, stricken with suicidal thoughts, threatened to jump from the bridge after leading police on a high-speed chase that reached 90 mph. The hours-long standoff that resulted tangled rush hour traffic and led to long delays for motorists.

Police and court records released Thursday reveal even more about Xiong's criminal history and the drama of the police standoff that occurred earlier this week.

Xiong was originally arrested in March, 2011, after having inappropriate contact with a 12-year-old girl who was the daughter of Xiong's then-girlfriend. The girl told investigators that Xiong took off her bra, inappropriately touched her genitals and asked her whether she knew how men and women have sex, according to a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County.

Brought in for questioning, Xiong admitted that he touched the victim's breast and vaginal area, and offered to educate her about sex. He then told officers that he used bad judgment and made a mistake.

Xiong was convicted Aug. 9, 2011, of a single first-degree count of criminal sexual conduct. He was later sentenced to 365 days in a correctional facility, a stayed, 12-year prison term and 20 years of probation, according to court records. He was also required to register as a sex offender.

Taken to Regions Hospital after the police standoff Tuesday, Xiong is scheduled to reappear in court Oct. 22 for a probation violation hearing. He will also likely be charged with fleeing from police in a motor vehicle, according to an Eagan police press release.

During the Tuesday standoff, police called in a Hennepin County water patrol unit, a K9 unit, a helicopter, negotiators and at least one HealthEast ambulance. Coast Guard units also volunteered to assist, according to reports released by the Eagan Police Department.

At one point, officers even asked T-Mobile to shut down Xiong's cell phone, after the man allegedly held several agitated conversations on the device. Police also asked Union Pacific to shut down a rail line that runs underneath the bridge during the standoff.

As the standoff dragged on, police allegedly noticed Xiong's hands shaking in apparent fatigue as he held to the side of the bridge. Until his apprehension at around 8:30 p.m., Xiong alternated between extreme agitation and tiredness.

The suspect's sister and other family members were also transported to the scene to speak with Xiong, according to reports.