Becker County (trfnews.i234.me) – A Detroit Lakes man has been sentenced in Becker County District Court for a domestic assault case that began earlier this year.
According to court records, 33-year-old Casey Spike Bybee was sentenced on July 25 to 90 days in jail for misdemeanor domestic assault. Eighty-five of those days were stayed, with Bybee receiving credit for five days already served.
As part of the plea deal, a felony charge of domestic assault by strangulation and another misdemeanor assault charge were dismissed.
The case stems from an incident on March 6. Investigators say Bybee took his girlfriend’s phone and demanded she delete videos of him allegedly abusing her. After she complied, Bybee continued to withhold the phone. He then grabbed her son’s phone, and when she tried to take it back, he pushed her down and strangled her.
Court documents state the fight continued in a bedroom, where Bybee hit the woman and put his knee on her throat. She told investigators she thought she might pass out. When she fell, Bybee allegedly stepped on her hair to stop her from standing.
The woman eventually fought back, striking Bybee. He allegedly pulled her by the hair into another room, where her son saw part of the altercation. Officers reported red marks on her chest and neck, along with a bleeding ear injury.
Bybee denied the allegations, claiming the woman attacked him and caused scratches with a screw. He also showed police a phone video in which he accused her of biting and scratching him.
The judge ordered Bybee to pay $585 in fines and court fees. He is banned from alcohol, unprescribed drugs, and firearms. He must also complete a domestic abuse program, cognitive skills training, and follow all treatment recommendations.
Bybee will serve two years of supervised probation. Court records show he also has pending domestic charges in Nevada.
For more background on domestic assault laws in Minnesota, visit the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
