Hundreds honor Aitkin Co. deputy killed at St. Cloud Hospital

AITKIN, Minn. (KMSP) - Hundreds gathered in the town of Aitkin on Monday to honor the life of Sheriff's Deputy Steven Sandberg, who was shot and killed as he guarded a suspect at St. Cloud Hospital.

A vigil followed a police procession that brought Sandberg's body home to Aitkin.

"It's incredibly hard for us to lose someone who was part of our organization, who was our community member, who was our friend," Aitkin County Sheriff Scott Turner said.

Deputy Sandberg spent a lifetime helping others -- for proof, all you had to do was look up and down the street. Whether it was protecting the people of Aitkin County, or teaching Sunday school, Sandberg was always there to help.

"We all just want to stand up and thank him for his service," Wendy Stein said.

Sandberg's funeral will be held on Friday in Aitkin. Details have not yet been released.