SOUTH ST PAUL, Minn. — A 62-year-old South St. Paul man is charged after an hours-long standoff with law enforcement that stemmed from him allegedly pointing a long gun at a neighbor and threatening to shoot.
John Anthony Gogala was charged with second-degree assault and making threats of violence after prosecutors say he began yelling at someone who was helping a family member move Sunday afternoon. According to the criminal complaint, Gogala started yelling and insulting the person as they were moving a relative out from across the hall at the apartment building. At one point, the person told Gogala to go home, and he responded "I am going to go look for a gun," prosecutors say.
The person told officials that Gogala returned to the apartment and began knocking on the door. When they looked through the peephole, they said Gogala was holding a long gun and yelling. A witness said they overheard Gogala say, "I have a gun, I am going to shoot you," multiple times.
While responding to the call on the 200 block of Marie Avenue, the criminal complaint says law enforcement gave commands for Gogala to drop his gun, to which he replied, "I'm good," and "I'm going back in my room." Gogala then returned to his apartment as law enforcement remained at the scene.
Officials evacuated nearby units and attempted to negotiate with Gogala for two hours before requesting help from the South Metro SWAT team. SWAT officers used a chemical irritant to flush him out of the apartment around 10 p.m.
According to court documents, Gogala appeared to be intoxicated. Law enforcement searched Gogala's apartment and found multiple firearms, including a long guns and ammunition. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 24.
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