A sheriff's deputy was shot and killed Sunday morning when the suspect he was keeping an eye on at a hospital in St. Cloud, Minn., grabbed his gun and fired, police revealed.
Danny Leroy Hammond, 50, was being investigated for a domestic dispute. He was receiving treatment at the St. Cloud Hospital and was guarded by the victim, 60-year-old Steven Sandberg, an investigator for the Aitkin County Sheriff, reported CNN.
The suspect, who was not handcuffed, got out of his bed, grabbed the deputy's firearm and opened fire. The officer died during the struggle.
A security guard then subdued the suspect with a Taser gun, which rendered him unconscious. He died a few moments later. Authorities did not disclose any additional details regarding the incident, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, the entire Aitkin community is mourning the loss of the deputy. Sandberg had been with the sheriff's department for 29 years and served as an investigator for 20 years.
"I hope that everyone can keep investigator Sandberg's wife and daughters in their prayers in the coming days," said Aitkin County Sheriff Scott Turner, according to Fox News.
"I deplore the terrible, senseless murder of Deputy Sheriff Steven Sandberg," said Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton in a statement, offering his condolences to Sandberg's family.
