GRANITE FALLS — A 41-year-old Morton man involved in a domestic incident at a casino parking lot in March 2021 was sentenced to 18 months in prison in Yellow Medicine County District Court Nov. 23.

Billy Jo Fischer pleaded guilty and was convicted of felony domestic assault as part of a plea agreement that dismissed felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon charge and felony possession of ammunition or any firearm with a crime of violence conviction charge.

Fischer was convicted in May 2006 for felony fourth-degree assault iand cannot legally own or possess ammunition.

He was credited with 252 days served and ordered to pay restitution as certified by the Yellow Medicine County Attorney’s Office.

According to court documents, Fischer and his girlfriend were involved in a March 15, 2021 domestic incident in the Prairie’s Edge Casino parking lot in which Fischer showed her a gun as casino security approached them.

The woman talked Fischer into getting into their car. While driving away, Fischer put the gun between her legs and told her to hide it.

When the woman tried to handle the gun, it went off, sending a bullet into her leg.

Fischer threw the gun out the car window. It was later recovered by law enforcement in a ditch near the casino.

The woman was transported to a Granite Falls hospital.

Fischer was arrested the next day trying to drive out of Granite Falls. Law enforcement found blood on the car passenger seat and a fired slug lodged in the car seat.