by John McLoone

A 15-hour standoff at a residence in the Three Rivers Mobile Home Park in Hastings ended with the arrest of a 36-year-old Hastings man by tactical units utilizing flash bang grenades.

Gerald Edward Bolster II, 54 Radford Rd., remains held in the Dakota County Jail with bail set at $200,000. He was jailed on three counts of Threats of Violence (Intent to Terrorize), Violation of a Harassment/ Restraining Order (Two or More Prior Convictions) and two counts of Child Endangerment.

Following is the statement issued by Hastings Police Chief Bryan Schafer about the incident: “On Thursday, July 2, 2020, at about 11:30 a.m., Hastings Police responded to a disturbance at a residence on Radford Rd. in Three Rivers Mobile Home Park. When officers arrived, they attempted to separate the male and female residents in order to gain information about the disturbance. As the female exited the residence with 2 children, the male subject fled back into the residence with the 2 remaining children ages 4 and 13. The female and 2 children were moved to safety and the area was secured. Hastings Police issued an Everbridge Alert to local residents to shelter-in-place, while some were evacuated by officers.

“South-Metro SWAT and Hostage Negotiators were immediately summoned to the scene and began negotiations with the barricaded male. Due to extreme temperatures, a number of SWAT officers suffered heat exhaustion. As a result, Washington County SWAT, East-Metro SWAT, Hastings Fire, and a number of regional EMS Paramedics responded. During the 15- hour standoff, over a dozen officers were treated at the scene and at least 3 were hospitalized.

“At approx. 10 p.m. SWAT safely rescued the 13-year old. After numerous attempts to have the male subject release the 4-year old, SWAT forced entry into the residence at about 2:20 a.m. rescuing the child and taking the subject into custody.”

The Statement of Probably Cause filed against Bolster said he made numerous threats against police officers during and after the standoff.

The complaint states that a 911 call was received that Bolster allegedly threatened the trailer park manager “after she informed him that a vehicle on his property was being towed.”

Police found that there was an active Restraining Order barring Bolster from being within three blocks of a woman at the residence.

When police arrived, the woman answered the door with two small children next to her. Bolster allegedly pushed her out of the house, and two children were still in the residence with him.

Police asked Bolster to release the children and he said, “You come in here, I’m gonna shoot one of you (expletive deleted! Have a good day!”

He told police several times something to the effect “It’ll either death by cop or court date. You pick.”

Through the window, the complaint states that it appeared Bolster was holding a handgun.

In a phone conversation he reportedly said, “I’ll probably shoot you first today though because I’m either getting a court date today, or I’m gonna get death by cop today cause I’m taking out as many of you (expletive deleted) as I can as soon as you walk through the door.”

Dakota County SWAT arrived and used a loud speaker to inform Bolster he was under arrest and he needed to release the children.

The complaint states, “Defendant responded by threatening to fill the trailer with gas and explode it. Defendant threatened multiple times that he was going to blow up the trailer with the children still inside and at one point started throwing items out of a window at the gas meter.”

Shortly after 2:30 a.m. Friday, police took him into custody but the threats didn’t stop.

“Law enforcement located one brown plastic handgun and multiple NERF guns in the residence. Defendant was placed in an ambulance and transported to the hospital. While en route to the hospital, defendant told an officer. ‘I’ll get out of prison in 10 years and start killing cops’ and continued to make multiple threats about killing officers when he is released from custody.”

He was transported from the hospital and booked into the Dakota County Jail at 5:35 a.m. He initially was held without bail, and his initial court appearance was Tuesday morning, where bail was set. His next court appearance is July 29.