May 29, 2007, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Associated Press) - A Minnesota National Guard member killed in a standoff with police in central Minnesota had been suicidal in the past, and he was intoxicated and driving with a loaded shotgun on the morning of his death, authorities said Tuesday.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Department and the Alexandria Police Department said Brian William Skold, 28, of Sauk Rapids, fired at least one shot from a 12-gauge shotgun. Alexandria police officers returned fire, killing Skold, Capt. Scott Kent said.

Authorities said they received a report Sunday morning that Skold was intoxicated and driving a 1994 Chevy Silverado pickup truck toward the Brooten or Alexandria areas. The report said he may have had a loaded shotgun in his vehicle and that he had been suicidal in the past.

Police said the family had been on a cell phone with Skold and told police he did indeed have a shotgun.

Authorities eventually located Skold and tried to get him to stop his vehicle. The SWAT team was called in and police used stop sticks to stop the pickup on Interstate 94 near Osakis.

Authorities negotiated with him for about an hour and a half but he refused to surrender. Police said Skold stepped out of his vehicle numerous times with the gun in his hand and that he fired the gun at least once.

Two Alexandria police officers returned fire.

Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, the Minnesota National Guard spokesman, said Skold enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard on Dec. 30, 1998 and was in the 1st Battalion, 151st Field Artillery in Montevideo.

Skold was deployed from November 2004 through December 2005 and was stationed in Baghdad, Olson said. At the time of his death, Skold was a National Guard member in good standing with the military.

"In a tragedy such as this, our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of Specialist Skold," Olson said. "This is an active police investigation," he added. "It would be inappropriate for me to speculate on the cause of the incident."

Skold has a brother who is also in the National Guard.

A phone call to Skold's parents was not immediately returned Tuesday.