Burnsville Standoff Ends with Suspect in Custody, 2 Kids Safe
Police staging during a standoff near Country View Blvd. & County Rd. 11 on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. MN CRIME PHOTO
An apparent mental health crisis and domestic assault escalated into an hours-long standoff and hostage situation in Burnsville Sunday afternoon.
Burnsville police responded to the 1800 block of Country View Drive shortly before 4:45 p.m. and secured the area, closing parts of County Road 11 and Country View and activating a shelter-in-place alert for nearby residents.
The standoff unfolded after a male suspect refused to exit the residence, with two children still inside, radio dispatches said.
One of the children was able to exit the home early during the standoff, while negotiators worked to secure the remaining child. Radio dispatches indicated that the suspect—who was reportedly wanted on charges of domestic strangulation, domestic assault and malicious punishment of a child stemming from an earlier incident—was said to have access to both a pistol and a hunting bow.
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After several hours of negotiations, law enforcement successfully apprehended the suspect just before 8 p.m. and both children were confirmed safe. The suspect was taken into custody and formal charges are expected within the coming days. His identity hasn’t been released and authorities have not yet confirmed further details regarding what led up to the incident.
Multiple agencies assisted, with officers from Bloomington, Eagan, South St. Paul and Rosemount Police Departments among those on scene. Tactical support included two BearCat armored vehicles, a police drone, and Burnsville Fire and EMS rigs.
Shortly after the suspect’s arrest, the shelter-in-place order was lifted, with Burnsville PD confirming the situation was resolved “peacefully.”
UPDATE | Monday, Feb. 24
According to Dakota County Jail records, the suspect is 41-year-old Christopher Michael Thole. He was booked around 10:40 p.m. Sunday on probable-cause charges of felony domestic assault by strangulation, felony malicious punishment of a child and misdemeanor domestic assault. He is set to make his first appearance on the charges at District Court in Hastings on Tuesday.
State court records show Thole has previous convictions for felony theft, domestic assault and abuse, disorderly conduct and ineligible possession of a firearm.
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