(St. Cloud, MN) — An Aitkin County Sheriff’s Deputy was killed early this morning during an altercation with a suspect who was being treated at St. Cloud Hospital. The suspect died a short time later. Aitkin County Sheriff’s Investigator Steven Martin Sandberg, 60, had been monitoring the welfare of the suspect who was the subject of an investigation in Aitkin County. The suspect has been identified by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner as Danny Leroy Hammond, 50, of rural Aitkin. Around 5:15 a.m. this morning, Hammond got out of his hospital bed and engaged in an altercation with Sandberg, during which Hammond gained control of Sandberg’s gun and shot him. A hospital security guard entered the room and used a Taser to subdue Hammond, shortly after which Hammond experienced a medical emergency. Both Sandberg and Hammond were taken to the hospital’s emergency trauma center where lifesaving efforts were not successful. Investigator Sandberg and Hammond are being taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. The entire incident was confined to Hammond’s hospital room. No hospital patients or personnel were injured. There is no ongoing threat to public safety. Investigator Sandberg had been with the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years, including the past 20 years as an investigator.