Thief River Falls Man Faces Assault, Fleeing Charges

Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — A local man faces three criminal charges after a reported domestic incident on June 11.

Pennington County court records identify the defendant as Cody Mitchell Meekma, 38. Prosecutors charged Meekma with gross misdemeanor domestic assault.

He also faces misdemeanor property damage and fleeing charges.

Allegations Detailed in Court Complaint

The complaint alleges Meekma pulled a shower head from a bathroom fixture. He then allegedly threw it toward a household member but missed.

The household member told police the incident caused fear.

Prosecutors also allege Meekma damaged a television valued at less than $500. Officers later documented two broken televisions and other damaged items.

According to the complaint, Meekma and the reported victim are family or household members. All three counts stem from the same incident.

Cody Mitchell Meekma mugshot — Cody Mitchell Meekma

Police Describe Attempted Arrest

Police later went to Meekma’s residence to arrest him, according to the complaint. Officers asked him to place his hands behind his back.

The complaint says Meekma pulled away before officers secured the handcuffs. He allegedly jumped over a deck railing and ran.

Another officer pursued Meekma and detained him nearby.

The fleeing count involves running from officers during an attempted arrest. It does not involve a motor vehicle.

Charges and Possible Penalties

The domestic assault count carries a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail. It also carries a possible $3,000 fine.

Each misdemeanor count carries up to 90 days in jail. Each count also carries a possible $1,000 fine.

Prosecutors say the assault charge was increased because of a qualifying 2024 conviction. That case is listed as file 57-CR-24-548.

Case Remains Pending

The new case is filed as 57-CR-26-405 in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District. Court documents list June 11 for each alleged offense.

The charges remain allegations and have not been proven in court. Meekma is presumed innocent unless convicted.

Readers can review Minnesota’s domestic assault statute, property damage statute, and fleeing statute.
Public case information is available through Minnesota Court Records Online.

I’m Chris Harper, reporting for TRF News.