The man remained atop the 35E bridge for more than 5 hours in a standoff with police before surrendering.
Follow Mendota Heights Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our free newsletter As the end of the year approaches, Patch recaps the biggest stories of 2012—both in terms of pageviews and impact on the Mendota Heights community. The original article posted on Oct. 17, 2012. Other Story of the Year posts: • No. 3 Story of the Year: Family Asks for Help Finding Highland Park Man • No. 4 Story of the Year: MH Police Chief Investigated for Ethics Violations; No Charges Filed • No. 5 Story of the Year: MH Man Charged with Stabbing Former Friend's Grandfather • No. 6 Story of the Year: MH Man with Alleged White Supremacist Connections Indicted on Drug Charges • No. 7 Story of the Year: Tornado Touches Down in Mendota Heights • No…
The man at the center of the standoff, Oudone Xiong, was convicted in 2011 of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, according to police records.
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…
The man remained atop the 35E bridge for more than 5 hours in a standoff with police before surrendering.
(UPDATE: 12 A.M.) The man who police said led them on a pursuit from Eagan to Mendota Heights and then threatened to jump from the Interstate 35E bridge over the Mississippi River surrendered to police shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the man, who was apparently wanted by Eagan Police, was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul after what the Star Tribune reported as a 5-hour standoff. The man remained unidentified as of Tuesday evening. Rescue crews were stationed on and below the bridge just north of Lilydale on 35E, while negotiators talked to the man during the standoff. The incident closed one northbound I-35E traffic lane and slowed traffic on the 35E bridge throughout the afternoon and late …
Anne Helgerson
5:03 pm on Wednesday, October 17, 2012
I witnessed the beginning of this chase and came across it while driving to my destination and yes there were snipers and at about 3pm (when the suspect actually got to the bridge) there were over 18 cop cars. It was a crazy scene even more so seeing it from the start. You would have thought that the man would have had a bomb or a gun because of the snipers. I mean why the snipers if he was … more ›