Domestic assault report leads to standoff, one man dead

By: 
Lisa Ingebrand

A screenshot of a video taken by Trisha Kae Efta shows a Le Center street blockaded by law enforcement.

A man was found dead in a Le Center home Tuesday morning, July 6, following a 10-hour long standoff with law enforcement.
The man, who has been identified as 38-year-old Michael Lee Elie of Le Center, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
According to a press release issued by the Le Sueur County’s Sheriff Office, law enforcement officers responded to a residence in the 300 block of South Cordova Avenue in Le Center for a reported domestic assault at 9:19 p.m. Monday night.
Officers at the scene met with a 37-year-old female who reported she was physically assaulted/strangled by her boyfriend, who she identified as Elie, and she indicated Elie had a handgun and threatened to kill her and any law enforcement officer who responded to the house. She also informed officers that two of her children, ages 4 and 12, were in the house at the time of the incident “and they ran upstairs and hid in the upper story of the house.”
Eventually, officers were able to make telephone contact with Elie, but he refused to exit the residence and a stand-off commenced.
Officers maintained contact with Elie and convinced him to allow the children to come out of hiding and exit the house. According to Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason, the children exited the residence approximately an hour and a half after the initial call was received. The children were met by officers and escorted to their mother.
At approximately 7:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, officers breached the residence and located Elie in the lower-level of the residence, deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The streets in the area were blocked during the incident and Casey’s General Store located at State Highway 99 and South Cordova Avenue was temporarily closed.
Investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Le Center Police, Le Center Ambulance, River Valley Tactical Team, and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office assisted the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office in this incident.

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