Bemidji Man Faces Charges After SWAT Standoff
BEMIDJI — (trfnews.i234.me) — A Bemidji man faces three charges after a reported domestic dispute and SWAT response.
Roderick Duane Spears, 19, is charged in Beltrami County District Court. The case includes one felony, one gross misdemeanor, and one misdemeanor.
The charges include second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. He also faces charges for carrying a pistol without a permit and domestic assault.
The allegations appear in a complaint filed in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District. A criminal complaint contains allegations and does not prove guilt.
Police Respond to Firearm Report
Bemidji police were called to Ridgeway Court III around 10:45 p.m. on June 1.
Dispatchers received reports of yelling and a man pointing a firearm at other people.
Officers heard a woman and children yelling as they approached an apartment. A man then went inside and shut the door.
Police said the man refused to leave after officers announced their presence.
A neighbor told officers the man had pointed a gun at them. Other witnesses reported an earlier dispute outside the home.
Those witnesses claimed Spears assaulted his girlfriend. They said he later pointed a firearm after others interrupted the dispute.
Roderick Duane Spears
SWAT Team Called to Apartment
Police secured the area and evacuated other units in the four-plex.
The Beltrami County SWAT Team responded. Negotiators began speaking with the person inside the apartment.
Spears later left the residence and was arrested without further incident, according to the complaint.
His girlfriend, identified as K.J., then left the apartment with three children.
K.J. denied that Spears assaulted her or displayed a firearm. She said the couple argued about his visiting a bar.
Police reported seeing no visible injuries on K.J.
Pistol Allegedly Found Inside Couch
Officers later searched the apartment under a warrant.
Investigators reported finding one round of ammunition outside near the alleged dispute.
Inside the apartment, officers found a black pistol hidden within a couch, the complaint states.
Police cut open the couch and recovered the firearm. The pistol had a red magazine base plate.
Authorities said Spears did not have a Minnesota permit to carry a pistol.
The assault charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. It also allows a fine of up to $14,000.
Details about the assault law are available from the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
Information about the pistol law is also available through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.
Public court information is available from the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
Spears is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.