St. Cloud Hospital Releases Statement On Fatal Shooting That Killed Deputy

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The St. Cloud Hospital where a deputy was shot and killed by a patient over the weekend has released a statement in response to the incident.

On Sunday morning, Danny Hammond, 50, shot and killed Aitkin County Investigator Steven Sandberg, who had been assigned to monitor him overnight. Authorities say Hammond got hold of Sandberg's gun and shot him several times.

Responding officers used a stun gun to shock Hammond, and he died shortly after, likely from cardiac arrest.

On Tuesday, the hospital, CentraCare Health, released a statement:

CentraCare expresses condolences to the families and friends of the victims in this tragedy. Our top priority is always protecting the safety and well-being of our patients, visitors, employees and physicians. Situations like this affect us deeply, so our current focus is helping our staff and physicians through this situation. Additionally, we would like to reassure all that our commitment to high quality patient-centered medical care is unwavering. Critical indents, like this one, are always subject to an internal review, which is underway. Because this incident is under investigation by other agencies, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further about specifics of the case.

We appreciate the rapid response of our staff and law enforcement, who worked together to prevent the situation from escalating. CentraCare will work with authorities until this investigation is complete. As we have done for many years, we will also continue partnering with law enforcement and other organizations to keep our entire community safe by regularly preparing plans to prevent and respond to potential disasters. We will update the media as this situation unfolds.

Prosecutors revealed on Monday that Hammond was facing 11 felony charges in connection with tormenting his wife.

Oct. 12, Hammond was found near death inside his home of an apparent suicide attempt. He was rushed to St. Cloud Hospital where deputies, including Sandberg, monitored him closely.

In a statement, Hammond's wife said she is praying for Sandberg's family.

"My son and I are so very sad over the terrible circumstances of Deputy Sandberg's death," the statement said."Our foremost thoughts are for his family. Please, please, know that our prayers are not for my son and I, but are for the family of Deputy Sandberg."