A week after he caused a brief lockdown of a Northeast Iowa hospital, a Minnesota man has been charged in the case.
On the morning of Tuesday, September 10, Winneshiek County received a call from the Fillmore County (Minnesota) Sheriff’s Office about a suicidal male subject with a firearm in the WinnMed parking lot in Decorah. The hospital was placed on lockdown while law enforcement made contact with the subject by phone and attempted negotiations with the man, now identified as 70-year-old John Westby of Mabel, Minnesota.However, Westby fled in his truck.
During the pursuit with law enforcement, several attempts were made by the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office and Decorah Police to stop the vehicle. Ultimately, authorities boxed the vehicle in on the overpass on Highway 52 near Madison Road and safely brought Westby’s vehicle to a stop. He was apprehended without incident and the firearms in the vehicle were recovered.
Westby was then taken to WinnMed for further evaluation.
Monday (09.16), the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office and Decorah Police Department announced that both agencies have filed their own eluding charge against Westby, who was also cited for reckless driving.
No additional information is being released at this time.
