Duluth man arrested after dangerous police chase

St. Louis county sheriff squads raced up London road Thursday night to a gravel pit north of Duluth’s Brighton beach and ended up arresting a Duluth man who was armed with a shotgun.

The sheriff’s department says Fredrick Sievert threatened a homeowner with a shotgun at a Lakeside home. When the homeowner called 9-1-1 officials say Sievert, who is known to local law enforcement, appeared to be having mental health issues and shot a shotgun blast in the homeowners garage.

Commander Wade Rasch with the sheriff’s office says Sievert then left the home in a black suv, still in possession of the shotgun, speeding up the north shore. Rasch says Lake County deputies located the suv and began a pursuit up the expressway and that near the McQuade road turnoff Sievert waved a handgun out window and took off again.

Rasch says after an unsuccessful pit maneuver, Sievert sped further up the expressway, eventually turning into and getting stuck in a gravel pit on 78th Avenue East.

Rasch described the scene as tense, as he said Sievert jumped out with shotgun holding it up, refusing to put it down. Eventually he did drop the gun and was taken into custody and is facing multiple charges, including, but not limited to, reckless discharge of a firearm, fleeing and burglary.

Sievert was taken to a Duluth hospital for a mental evaluation and has since been lodged in the St. Louis county jail.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.