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SE man accused of assaulting police

Officer called

to medical

center Wednesday

By Fritz Busch

Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE — A 72-year-old Sleepy Eye man faces gross misdemeanor charges of 4th-degree assault, obstructing the legal process-interfering with a peace officer and misdemeanor obstructing the legal process after a Wednesday confrontation with Sleepy Eye Police near the Sleepy Eye Medical Center.

Charges were filed in Brown County District Court Thursday against Douglas L. Bredeson, 504 Prescott Ave. N.W., Sleepy Eye. He remained in Brown County Jail custody Thursday.

According to court documents, Sleepy Eye Police were called by a Sleepy Eye Medical Center nurse at 7:40 a.m. Wednesday, May 6 and told that a medical center patient, Bredeson, was “rough with staff” and ran out the door.

Sleepy Eye Police Chief Matt Andres drove to the medical center and was told by a nurse standing outside, that Bredeson headed east through the yards of nearby residences.

Andres was familiar with Bredeson, bringing him to the medical center the previous day, after finding him walking near the train tracks on the west edge of town in the rain, in his boxer shorts, without shoes and socks.

Police searched the area and saw Bredeson walking east across an alley onto a driveway, wearing boxer shorts and socks. Police noticed a hairbrush in Bredeson’s right hand and asked him to walk towards him.

Bredeson walked towards police who warned him that he would get in trouble if he fought them. Bredeson appeared to cooperate, police told him they were going back to the hospital when he tried to strike the officer in the mid-section with an underhand swing.

An officer moved his hips and was hit in the thigh, then tried to arm bar him to the ground. Bredeson tried to pull away and police pushed him into a nearby garage wall, another officer pulled him to the ground, and another officer handcuffed him and told him he was under arrest.

One officer was cut on his right forearm. Bredeson had a scrape along his forehead hairline, both knees were scraped and he had a small abrasion on his right bicep. All injuries were photographed and the hairbrush was placed in an evidence bag.

Bredeson was transported to Sleepy Eye Medical Center for medical clearance before he was brought to the Brown County Jail. A doctor cleaned an officer’s arm injury that included three minor scratches and gave him a tetanus shot.

Bredeson appeared in a bail hearing Thursday. Details were not available Thursday afternoon.

In court Thursday, Judge Robert Docherty ordered a Rule 20 evaluation for Bredeson. The procedure occurs in criminal cases when there is a belief that a defendant may not be competent to proceed due to mental illness or developmental disability.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.

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