Thief River Falls: Man Faces 6 Charges After Assault

Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A Bagley man faces six charges after an alleged domestic assault in Pennington County.

Tristan Elmer Thompson, 21, faces two felony counts of threats of violence.

He also faces two gross misdemeanor domestic assault charges.

Two misdemeanor counts accuse Thompson of property damage and disorderly conduct.

The charges stem from an alleged July 19, 2026, incident near Thief River Falls.

Woman Reports Threats And Assault

According to the criminal complaint, Thompson was walking with his girlfriend when an argument began.

The woman told investigators that Thompson threatened to kill her and break her jaw.

She said she tried to walk away, but Thompson allegedly chased her.

Prosecutors say Thompson grabbed her phone and threw it onto the ground.

The impact allegedly shattered the back of the phone.

The woman also reported that Thompson threw a baseball-sized rock at her.

She said the rock struck her right side and caused pain near her ribs.

Thompson also allegedly punched, hit, and slapped her during the confrontation.

The woman eventually reached the American Inn and contacted law enforcement.

While speaking with police, the woman reported seeing Thompson near Highway 59.

She alleged Thompson threw an object at the vehicle she was sitting inside.

Police later located Thompson and questioned him about the confrontation.

Thompson acknowledged an argument but denied that anything physical happened, according to the complaint.

He did admit throwing a vape at the vehicle, prosecutors say.

The woman later provided investigators with screenshots of messages allegedly exchanged with Thompson.

The complaint says the messages included additional threatening statements about hurting her.

She also provided a photograph showing redness and a small cut near her ribs.

The woman later sought medical care because of continued rib and pelvic pain.

She told investigators that she feared Thompson would kill her during the incident.

Each threats-of-violence charge carries up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Each domestic assault count carries up to 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.

The complaint cites a 2022 domestic assault juvenile adjudication supporting the enhanced assault charges.

The remaining misdemeanor charges each carry up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The case is filed as Pennington County court file 57-CR-26-532.

Readers can review Minnesota Statute 609.713 regarding threats of violence.

Domestic assault law is available under Minnesota Statute 609.2242.

Additional court information is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.

Thompson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.