13 October 2023
FOLEY A Benton County man faces attempted murder charges after police say he shot five law enforcement officers during a standoff Thursday, Oct. 12.
Karl Thomas Holmberg, 64, of Glendorado Township, faces six counts of attempted murder in the first degree and six counts of assault in the first degree, according to charges filed Friday, Oct. 13, in Benton County.
Court documents shed light on the incident in which five officers were shot and injured.
At approximately 7:10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, officers with the Sherburne County Drug Task Force, accompanied by Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputies, were attempting to serve a knock-and-announce narcotics search warrant at a residence outside of Princeton, according to court documents.
On an initial review of body-worn camera video, law enforcement officers can be heard announcing “police, search warrant,” multiple times, while knocking on the door, according to court documents.
A witness inside the residence at the time of the incident was later interviewed by authorities, saying she heard a sound in which she described as “the door being kicked in.” Documents do not indicate how the officers entered the home.
Upon entry into the residence, a male voice can be heard responding to officers, according to court documents.
Then, within seconds, gunshots can be heard on the body-worn camera, according to court documents. The witness told authorities that Holmberg began shooting “blindly” through a closed door with a military-style rifle.
Court documents say that numerous gunshots were fired as the officers retreated from the residence and medical attention was administered.
Five officers were shot and injured; a sixth officer was present, but was not shot.
Three of the injured officers were flown to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. Two other officers were taken to Centracare St. Cloud Hospital via ambulance, according to court documents, where they were treated and later released. Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck on Thursday said that the injuries suffered by the officers were non-life-threatening.
As of Friday, two officers remained hospitalized with “substantial injuries.” One of the officers was released Thursday night, according to court documents.
After several hours of negotiations Thursday, Holmberg was taken into custody at about 10:47 a.m.
The witness told authorities that she awoke to Holmberg telling her that “they were here,” and indicated to her that it was “his day to die.”
In an interview with agents from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at a hospital in Robbinsdale, Holmberg stated that he was in his bedroom and knew that police were at his door. Holmberg said he didn’t think the officers had a right to be in his home and told them to leave.
According to the court documents, Holmberg told agents his injuries included being shot in the foot. He further indicated to authorities that he was using a .223 rifle.
During crime scene processing of the residence, multiple guns were found in the room Holmberg was in, including handguns, a shotgun, a rifle and one of the officer’s guns, according to court documents. Casings matching the caliber Holmberg told authorities he used were also found in the room. Shell casings were also found in the living room area of the home. Shell casings from the bedroom and living room area appeared to be two distinct groupings, court documents said.
Heck on Thursday told reporters that law enforcement was aware of Holmberg before Thursday.
Holmberg is set to appear in a Benton County courtroom on Friday afternoon, Oct. 13, for a bail hearing.
Each charge of attempted murder carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, while a charge of assault in the first degree deadly force against a police officer has a sentencing guideline of not less than 10 years or more than 20 and/or $30,000.
Online court documents indicate Holmberg has two previous convictions for possession of controlled substances.
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