On July 2, 2020 patrol officers attempted to contact a suspect about moving an illegally parked automobile at the Three Rivers Mobile Home Park in Hastings, MN. As officers spoke to the suspect’s wife and two of his four children the suspect locked and barricaded the door to his trailer with his other two children inside. 

Over the course of the next 15 hours, in sweltering heat, the South Metro SWAT Team, in conjunction with Washington County SWAT, and Ramsey County SWAT, attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the crisis as the suspects mental state deteriorated. 

Although they were able to obtain one of the two children, it started to become clear that a tactical intervention would be necessary. My guests today are Adam Tschida, Daniel Salmey, and Jeff Hanson from South Metro SWAT to discuss the case, their successful HRT intervention, and the lessons learned from a very challenging rescue. 

About South Metro SWAT
South Metro SWAT provides tactical coverage for thirteen different law enforcement agencies in Minnesota. The team’s service area spans roughly 1000 square miles south of the Twin Cities and is home to approximately 380,000 residents. 

The team has roughly 50 members. 35 tactical members including: commander, assistant commander, team leaders, snipers, breachers, medics, K9, etc. 15 crisis negotiations team members included: assistant commander, team leader, sworn LE, licensed mental health personnel. Core competencies include: hostage rescue, high risk warrant service, barricaded suspect/subject operations, dignitary protection, public order operations, man tracking operations, vehicle suppression, and community event security/quick reaction force.

Books Recommended
Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times - Donald T. Phillips – ISBN: 9780446394598
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know - Adam M. Grant – ISBN: 9781984878106
Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead - Jim Mattis & Bing West – ISBN: 9780812996838
The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win - Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – ISBN: 9781250195777

Contact Info
Adam Tschida - Adam.tschida@applevalleymn.gov
Daniel Salmey - dsalmey@southstpaul.org