Axe-Wielding Paynesville Man Charged in Saturday Incident

PAYNESVILLE -- A Paynesville man faces several charges including assaulting a police officer after a standoff at his apartment Saturday.

Police were called to the apartment complex at 703 West Main Street in Paynesville after the caller said a man was striking an apartment door with an axe.

When officers arrived, the caller said he was awakened by a banging noise. He looked out his door to see 29-year-old Jordan Schmidt-Jonsen swinging the axe and hitting the door. When the man told Schmidt-Jonsen to get away from the door, he allegedly came down the stairs toward the victim with the axe raised in a threatening manner.

Officers made contact with Schmidt-Jonsen through his apartment door, but he refused to exit and refused to surrender. Court records show he was walking around his apartment with knives, axes, and what is described as a large club-like bludgeon.

The SWAT team was called in and used tear gas to try to get Schmidt-Jonsen to come out. He refused and allegedly repeated threats to kill the officers and fight to the death.

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Eventually, police made a forced entry. The charges state Schmidt-Jonsen came at the lead officer with the club over his head and swung downward at the officer's head. The officer used his shield to block the blow. Several more attempts were made to hit the officer as he retreated into the entryway. Police then used tasers to subdue Schmidt-Jonsen.

Schmidt-Jonsen is charged with 1st-degree assault-use of deadly force against a peace officer, and two counts of 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

Schmidt-Jonsen is charged with fleeing police in a motor vehicle in a separate court file.

That same day, a Cold Spring Police officer tried to stop Schmidt-Jonsen's car because of a burned-out headlight. The officer determined it was Schmidt-Jonsen's car, but before he could approach it, Schmidt-Jonsen sped off.

The officer lost track of the car after it reached speeds of more than 100-miles-per-hour.

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Filed Under: assault on a police officer, jordan schmidt-jonsen

Categories: courts, St. Cloud News