A man from Big Lake Township fatally shot himself during a two-hour standoff with authorities who had originally responded to a fire at his house Monday morning, authorities said Tuesday afternoon.
Firefighters were called to the fire on the 19400 block of 180th Avenue at 9:43 a.m. When they arrived, they encountered 58-year-old Kurt Beucler, who was holding a gun and warning firefighters to leave the area.
Officers from the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office encountered Beucler in the backyard of the burning house, located on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Authorities negotiated with him for nearly two hours before he shot himself. Paramedics rendered aid and took Beucler to Monticello Hospital, Sheriff Joel Brott said in a statement.
The house was destroyed, but neighboring homes were spared, Brott said.
Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768
