The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

June 19, 2012

Threats charge filed after tactical team arrest

By Dan Nienaber Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO —  

A man who was arrested last week with help from the Minnesota River Valley Tactical Team is facing a felony threats charge.

Several firearms also were confiscated from 53-year-old David Charles Rasmussen’s residence in Butternut Valley Township when it was searched June 13. A search warrant had been obtained after Rasmussen was charged for allegedly firing two shots while two men were at his residence, which is owned by his father, Howard Rasmussen.

Howard Rasmussen had already reported hearing gunshots at the residence while he was there on May 2, according to court records. Then on June 10 Howard Rasmussen called the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Department to report his son had called the day before and threatened to kill him if he was on the property.

Howard Rasmussen also showed a deputy an email from June 9 where David Rasmussen threatened to release personal financial information about his father to people on the Internet.

Howard Rasmussen told deputies he is planning to turn his farming operation over to Paul Dehn, a business partner, and he believes that has made his son upset. Dehn was one of the people at David Rasmussen’s residence when the shots were fired June 11, court records said.

After David Rasmussen was charged for that incident on June 12, sheriff’s deputies went to the residence the following day to arrest him. When Rasmussen was called by a deputy, he said he would surrender but he wanted to wait an hour. Rasmussen later asked to talk to an attorney, but he was told deputies would remain at the scene until he was taken into custody.

Deputies then learned that Rasmussen had called someone else and told that person he had enough food in his residence to last three weeks, court records said. They also had information saying Rasmussen could be armed with assault rifles.

The tactical team was called in at that point and a search warrant was requested. Rasmussen was arrested and the house was searched when law enforcement officers moved in with the warrant at about 8 p.m., June 13.

Rasmussen’s bail was set at $20,000 during a hearing Thursday. He remains in the Blue Earth County Jail. His next hearing is scheduled for June 28.

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