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Clarkfield man sentenced for standoff with SWAT team

GRANITE FALLS — A Clarkfield man who shot at law enforcement officers in a standoff last fall has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison as part of a plea deal, according to court records.

Kasey Paul Willander, 28, pleaded guilty in Yellow Medicine District Court last month to one charge of first degree attempted murder of a police officer.

On Wednesday, Willander was sentenced to 17-1/2 years in prison, with up to one-third of that time potentially served on supervised release. He was also sentenced to pay more than $90,000 in restitution for damage to the house where the standoff took place, court records said.

Additional charges of first degree burglary, ineligible possession of a firearm, nine counts of first degree assault, four counts of first degree attempted murder, and two counts of second degree assault were all dismissed, court records said.

Willander exchanged fire with law enforcement officers, and was shot more than once, during a standoff at a Boyd residence on Sept. 14-15.

A criminal complaint said the Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office had received a call from Willander’s mother, saying that Willander was acting paranoid and was armed with a bow and arrow at his home in Clarkfield. By the time deputies arrived, Willander had left. The complaint alleged Willander then broke into his great-uncle’s home and stole a shotgun.

Willander had pleaded guilty to third degree criminal sexual conduct in 2015, and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

The complaint alleged Willander moved on to his father’s residence in Boyd, and was armed with a long gun. Law enforcement evacuated two people from the house, and used a drone to find Willander holding a long gun in the farm field outside the residence, the complaint said. Willander returned to the house, barricaded himself inside, and exchanged fire with SWAT officers inside the house, the complaint said.

Early on the morning of Sept. 15, Willander left the garage of the residence and fired at a SWAT Humvee, the complaint said. The SWAT team returned fire, shooting Willander more than once, the complaint said. Willander was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center and treated for multiple gunshot wounds, the complaint said.

Court records said Willander pleaded guilty to one count of first degree attempted murder of a police officer at a hearing in Yellow Medicine County District Court on May 21.

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