Man charged after Highway 61 armed pursuit

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - The armed man who led officers on a pursuit Thursday evening has been charged.

Fredrick Carl Sievert, 32, of Duluth has been charged with three counts for first-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon, fleeing a peace officer, and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

On May 18, at approximately 5:53 p.m. deputies with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to an address on Old North Shore Road in Duluth.

Sievert, well-known to police, began experiencing mental health issues Thursday evening, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.

Court documents say deputies spoke to the victim who stated Sievert arrived in a black SUV and demanded that she open her garage door.

When the victim refused, the said Sievert pulled a shotgun out of his vehicle.

When talking to the victim, deputies were then advised that Sievert and his vehicle had been located and he was fleeing from a traffic stop.

Multiple agencies responded to stop Sievert, but he fled from police southbound on Highway 61.

Police then deployed stop sticks and multiple planks along Highway 61.

They also attempted to block Sievert but he was able to get away and continued to flee.

In an attempt to escape police, Sievert steered and accelerated his vehicle directly at one of the squad cars in pursuit.

Eventually, the he drove into a gravel pit off Highway 61 and 78th Avenue East, where he got stuck.

When Sievert exited the vehicle, he was holding a shotgun and police asked him to put it down, which he eventually did.

He then placed his hand behind his back and mimicked removing a weapon from his waistband multiple times.

According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, he was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation, to later be put in custody.

Deputies later responded to the address at Old North Shore Road and took a statement from the victim.

Court documents state deputies noted a yellow shotgun shell approximately six feet away from the service door of the garage on the ground.

The shotgun shell was a 20 gauge caliber and had not been fired.

The victim told police they had immediately recognized Sievert when he pulled into the driveway as he had been friends with her son in high school.

Then, the victim walked out on the porch and was told by Sievert that she needed to open up her garage, which she refused.

At that time, Sievert walked around the passenger side of his vehicle and removed a gun.

The victim stated she was extremely scared at the sight of the gun and did not know what he would do.

She then ran inside the house to call 911.

Sievert never pointed the gun at the victim.

Deputies were able to determine entry had been forced into the garage as there was a small nickel-sized hole directly next to the deadbolt with wadding and bird shot BBs nearby.

In addition, there was damage to the door and the door frame.

However, the victim doesn’t believe anything was stolen from the garage.

Deputies also spoke to a neighbor, who informed them that he had been in his garage at approximately 5:45 p.m. when he heard a lone gunshot he believed to be from a rifle or shotgun.

Sievert is now looking at 20 years in prison for the incident.

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