Gunman ID'ed After 5 Officers Shot In Benton County: Police

BENTON COUNTY, MN — Thursday was not Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck’s first encounter with Karl Thomas Holmberg, the man accused of shooting five officers who tried to serve a warrant at his rural home early that morning.

Asked by a reporter if he'd had previous interactions with Holmberg, Heck said he had.

The reporter then asked if Heck was surprised by Thursday's events.

"No," Heck responded.

The attack occurred shortly after 7 a.m., when the Sherburne County Drug Task Force was executing a search warrant on 190th Avenue Northeast in Glendorado Township, between St. Cloud and Princeton, according to police.

The officers announced their arrival multiple times before entering the residence and were met with gunfire, which they returned, Heck said at the press conference Thursday afternoon posted on YouTube by KARE 11. After nearly four hours of negotiations, Holmberg was taken into custody shortly before 11 a.m., according to Heck.

The injured officers are expected to survive, police said. They include three Sherburne County sheriff’s deputies as well as members of the Princeton and Elk River police departments, according to police. All five were working undercover so their names will not be released, Heck said.

Two of the sheriff’s deputies were struck in their protective vests and were treated and released from CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital, according to Heck, while the other three were brought to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, where they continue to be treated.

Holmberg, 64, was also taken to North Memorial for injuries he suffered during the incident, according to Heck, who did not announce charges against Holmberg on Thursday. A woman in the home was evaluated and released, Heck said.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating, according to police.

“We know incidents like what happened today are scary and unsettling for the community,” Special Agent in Charge Michelle Frascone said at the press conference, adding investigators are reviewing body and squad camera footage. “We want everybody to know that we are working as quickly as possible to provide answers.”

Heck, who said state, county and local agencies assisted in the response, confirmed Holmberg had prior felonies.

“This has been a difficult day for us in Benton County,” he said. “We are grateful that the incident did not result in loss of life or further injury.”