Standoff near Lake Mills lasts 4 1/2 hours

Published 7:00 am Friday, January 31, 2014

A SWAT van sits at the junction of Apple Avenue and Highway 105 east of Lake Mills on Thursday.

A SWAT van sits at the junction of Apple Avenue and Highway 105 east of Lake Mills on Thursday.

LAKE MILLS — A standoff began east of Lake Mills with shots reportedly fired. It lasted 4 1/2 hours Thursday and ended with a man being flown to a Mason City hospital with apparent self-inflicted wounds.

Authorities identified the man as Matthew Davis, 21, of 4573 Apple Ave., a rural Lake Mills residence just barely on the Worth County side of the line with Winnebago County. It is where the standoff took place.

He faces charges of attempted murder, a felony punishable by 25 years in prison.

Members of the Lake Mills Ambulance Service wait patiently Thursday east of Lake Mills near a standoff with authorities. -- Tim Engstrom/Albert Lea Tribune

Members of the Lake Mills Ambulance Service wait patiently Thursday east of Lake Mills near a standoff with authorities. — Tim Engstrom/Albert Lea Tribune

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The Worth County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call before noon that Davis was suicidal and had cut himself, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release.

Two law officers responded. As they approached the house, Davis reportedly shot at them. The officers returned fire and took cover, calling for backup.

A SWAT team and law enforcement from Iowa State Patrol, Lake Mills Police Department and Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office responded. No more shots were fired during the next 4 1/2 hours. Davis eventually walked out of the home voluntarily, was taken into custody and transported to Mercy Medical Center in Mason City.

He was later released from the hospital and taken to the Worth County Jail in Northwood, according to the Worth County Sheriff’s Office.

Also assisting at the scene were the Manly Police Department, Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, North Iowa Task Force Special Operations Group, Lake Mills Ambulance, Forest City Paramedic and Worth County Emergency Management.

Many of the authorities set up at the junction of Apple Avenue and Highway 105, right on the county line. Davis, a renter, was in his home up Apple Avenue a quarter mile. The two-story home was built in 1978 with 2,000 square feet of living space. It sits on a 35-acre parcel with woods.

 

About Tim Engstrom

Tim Engstrom is the editor of the Albert Lea Tribune. He resides in Albert Lea with his wife, two sons and dog.

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