Becker County (trfnews.i234.me) — Timothy Wayne DeGroat, 59, of Ogema, is headed to prison after a jury verdict.
DeGroat was sentenced in Becker County District Court on Dec. 30, 2025.
Judge Michelle Lawson imposed a 21-month state prison sentence in St. Cloud.
The court gave him 177 days of jail credit.
The court also ordered $135 in fines and fees.
A jury found DeGroat guilty on Oct. 29, 2025.
The convictions were felony second-degree assault and felony criminal vehicular operation.
A misdemeanor fifth-degree assault charge was dismissed earlier.
What happened
Court records say the incident happened at about 8:43 p.m. on July 7, 2025.
Officers were sent to a rural home near Ogema after a report of a man being hit by a vehicle.
The caller said the driver left the area.
Witnesses told officers there was a property dispute.
They said DeGroat arrived in a pickup and yelled at a male relative.
The man walked away and did not argue, records say.
DeGroat backed up the pickup, records say.
He drove into the yard toward the man, records say.
The pickup struck the man in the leg, the complaint says.
Records say DeGroat got out of the truck after the impact.
He grabbed a long wooden pole from the truck bed, records say.
Witnesses said he chased another person with the pole.
That person ran away and avoided being hit, records say.
DeGroat then drove away, records say.
Search and arrest
Officers later found DeGroat’s pickup in a nearby field, records say.
The truck was unoccupied.
Officers also found a wooden pole in the truck bed, records say.
The pole matched the witness description, records say.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m., officers got another call, records say.
They were told DeGroat was at a business in Callaway.
An employee said DeGroat talked about police looking for him.
The employee said DeGroat urged someone to call the police.
The employee also reported talking about a problem at the farm, records say.
Officers arrived and took DeGroat into custody, records say.
Victim’s condition
Court records say officers could not interview the injured man that night.
His medical condition prevented a full statement.
The man said he could not feel his legs, records say.
He was airlifted to Fargo for emergency care.
Sentence and public information
Second-degree assault is defined in Minn. Stat. § 609.222.
Criminal vehicular operation is listed in Minn. Stat. § 609.2113.
Many case records can be searched on Minnesota Court Records Online.
Contact details are posted on the Becker County District Court page.
County services are listed on the Becker County website.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.