Man reaches plea deal for Lyle standoff, making threatening calls from jail
Published 10:56 am Tuesday, February 7, 2017
![Tyler John Hill, 37](https://www.austindailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2016/12/1215-Hill.jpg)
Tyler John Hill
A 37-year-old Austin man who faced more than 32 felony counts after an 11-hour armed standoff with police on Dec. 10, 2016, in Lyle Township and other incidents has reached a plea deal in his several cases.
Tyler John Hill pleaded guilty to one of three counts of violating an order for protection, violating an order for protection within 10 years or two or more convictions, aggravated stalking, violating a domestic abuse no contact order, fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, and fifth-degree drug possession.
Several other counts were dismissed as he was originally charged with 32 felony counts from the standoff, an incident where he made harassing phones calls from the jail and other incidents.
On Dec. 10, Hill barricaded himself in a Lyle Township home with a shotgun. He eventually surrendered to police.
Hill then made 30 calls to the victim from the Mower County Jail from Dec. 29 to Jan. 3 — at least 23 were unanswered and messages were left on nine occasions. He also contacted another person 13 times asking the individual to contact the victim.
Many of the calls were threatening and abusive or asked the victim to dismiss the prior charges.
He also has faced charges from three other incidents where he violated a no contact order and allegedly stalked a victim.
On Jan. 5, Hill pleaded not guilty in Mower County District Court to seven felonies pertaining to the Dec. 10 standoff: terroristic threats, a pattern of stalking conduct, aggravated stalking with a dangerous weapon, violating an order for protection, violating an order for protection with a dangerous weapon, violating a domestic abuse no contact order, violating a domestic abuse no contact order with a weapon; and three gross misdemeanors for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
David Michael Huff, 36, of Waseca is accused of trying to assist Hill during the standoff ordeal and faces a felony count of aiding an offender and three gross misdemeanors for child endangerment.
Hill’s criminal history shows convictions for criminal vehicular homicide in 1999 and fifth-degree assault in 2007 in Mower County, along with fifth-degree assault in 2007 in Freeborn County. He was also out on pretrial release for felony charges for violating his restraining orders and felony drug possession in the three other Mower County cases.
He is scheduled for sentencing on April 20.