Loud Radio Upsets Gophers Fan, Leads to Three-Hour Standoff, Police Say

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An Eagan resident, irate because a utility worker outside his house had her radio volume too loud, allegedly threatened to kill the woman, according to police.

Daniel Thomas Drobac, 32, faces one felony count of terroristic threats following the incident, which took place on Jan. 18, according to a criminal complaint issued by the Dakota County Attorney's Office.

Officers were dispatched to a home on the 1600 block of Woodgate Lane in Eagan just after 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning, when the utility worker called police and told them a man threatened to shoot her. But officers didn't apprehend the suspect—identified as Drobac—until 12:50 p.m., following a standoff involving a SWAT team and police negotiator, police said in a news release after the incident.

The standoff began when Drobac, allegedly watching a recording of a Gophers basketball game, became upset because he overheard the outcome of the game on a sports talk show playing on the victim's radio.

Police say Drobac yelled twice at the utilities worker. The second time, Drobac allegedly told the woman "I’m not kidding, I’m going to [expletive] shoot you." Following the threat, police say the victim called 911 and hid inside a tent set up around the utility box she was repairing.

Police observed a large knife in the snow 10 feet from the tent, with skid marks on the snow indicating that it may have been thrown from the direction of Drobac's residence, according to the complaint.

Officers eventually arrested Drobac without incident. During questioning, the man allegedly told police that he had yelled to ask the victim to turn her radio off, but denied threatening her or throwing a knife out of his house.

Police found a set of knives in Drobac's home that matched the knife located in the snow, according to the complaint.

If convicted, Drobac could face a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.