It was a typical Sunday afternoon for Corinne Pfoser and her fiancé Kayla Lindenfelser until a neighbor’s comment about their same-sex relationship resulted in a police standoff.
Pfoser started her afternoon with one of her foster children as they bagged up leaves scattered across the lawn of their Elk River home.
Shortly after 2:20 p.m., Pfoser took one of the bags of leaves to the garage when her neighbor, Mark Stinson, walked to the edge of their lawn and allegedly yelled to the child, “Hey fat kid, when’s your mamas gonna get home. Nobody likes (expletive) lesbians. Get the (expletive) out of Sherburne County.”
Kayla Lindenfelser and Corrine Pfoser were allegedly threatened by their Elk River neighbor with a gun, leading up to a police standoff Sunday afternoon into Monday morning.
The incident took the same-sex couple by surprise. They said they haven’t encountered this type of hostility since they moved in the neighborhood in August 2023.
“I stepped inside, and before I knew it, there was someone yelling,” Pfoser said.
After the initial interaction with Stinson took place, Lindenfelser called the police. When authorities arrived at Stinson’s home on the 11800 block of 191st Ave. NW, they saw him approach the front door and then “disappear” into the house, according to a search warrant.
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The officers then told the couple Stinson couldn’t be reached and to let them know if any further issues arose. But, it didn’t take long for a situation to present itself.
“Within 10 minutes of the cop leaving, Mark (Stinson) came outside, and I’m standing on my property line (so) I said, ‘Mark, what’s going on? What happened?’” Pfoser said. “He said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ and I said it’s all on camera.”
“At that point (my fiancé) was standing right next to me, and we both saw him grab (and point) what appeared to be like a long rifle shotgun.”
Pfoser immediately yelled, “He’s got a gun, run,” according to the warrant. The Elk River police officer was still in the area and heard the cry for help before calling for backup.
An Elk River man’s negative comment and threat toward a same-sex couple resulted in a police standoff Sunday afternoon into Monday morning.
After reaching Stinson’s son, officers learned it would be “highly unusual” for the 48-year-old Stinson to not answer his door or phone. Upon learning this information and combining it with the threat level, police brought in the SWAT and negotiation teams, the warrant states.
First responders positioned themselves with guns while the team used a drone to see what was happening inside the house before entering. The standoff lasted until the early morning hours, Pfoser and Lindenfelser said.
“I’ve never felt so dehumanized in my life,” Pfoser said. “I’ve always been super comfortable with my sexuality.”
Stinson was arrested for felony terroristic threats and second-degree assault, the warrant states. Authorities found two loaded 12 gauge shotguns, an AR-style rifle, another unmarked gun and various types of gun ammunition.
The couple moved to their Elk River home from Milaca in August 2023 in hopes of being part of a diverse, welcoming community. Lindenfelser said they’ve found the Elk River community to be welcoming until Sunday’s standoff, but she said anti-LGBTQ+ acts can happen anywhere.
“The neighborhood generally has supported us and agrees that what was done was wrong,” Lindenfelser said. “The entire community, too. Teachers, doctors, everyone has been super supportive.”
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An Elk River man’s negative comment and threat toward a same-sex couple resulted in a police standoff Sunday afternoon into Monday morning.
The couple lives with their adopted daughter and four foster children and say Elk River has been a great place to live. Now they’re having conversations with their children about Stinson’s comments, saying it’s a teachable moment.
These conversations are in small age-appropriate doses, the two parents said.
“We can teach them you need to be respectful no matter someone’s sexuality, ethnicity or anything like that,” Pfoser said. “We are all humans, and I think that’s the biggest lesson I want to teach my kids — you need to be respectful of people, no matter what the situation.”
The St. Cloud Times called the Elk River Police Department for comment, but did not get a response in time for publication. The department posted on Facebook Sunday, advising nearby residents to stay in their homes and said a man was arrested for the “gun pointing incident.”
Corey Schmidt covers politics and courts for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Elk River SWAT team gets involved as man threatens lesbian moms
