JACKSON -- An altercation involving a shepherd's hook and decorative pumpkins led to a man getting charged Thursday with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in Jackson County District Court.
Travis Bradly Gentry, 27, of Jackson, is charged with assault, terroristic threats, fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
According to the criminal complaint, Gentry, who has two previous convictions for violating an order for protection, was at the home of Tracy Dee Christoffer, 30, of Heron Lake on Tuesday. The man who reported the incident said Christoffer invited him to her home and Gentry was there when he arrived.
The complainant said he heard yelling inside when he arrived, so he asked Gentry to step outside and speak with him. After five to 10 minutes of talking, Gentry asked Christoffer to come outside and let them know which male she wanted to leave and who should stay.
Christoffer told Gentry to leave, but he argued until the other man told him it was time for him to go. The man told officers Gentry head-butted him, which started a fight. The two ended up on the ground throwing punches until the man pinned Gentry to the ground and he agreed to leave.
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When let up off the ground, the man named as the victim in the complaint said Gentry began walking back and forth from his car toward the deck of Christoffer's residence, saying things such as "I'm going to get my boys" and threatening to kill the victim.
Christoffer allegedly began throwing small decorative pumpkins at Gentry, trying to get him to leave. Gentry allegedly grabbed a shepherd's hook out of the lawn and pointed it in a stabbing motion at the other two. Christoffer allegedly tossed another pumpkin at Gentry and told him to leave.
After Gentry left, the victim called the Jackson County Sheriff's Office to report the incident, letting them know the altercation was strictly self-defense on his part. He stated he had been in verbal altercations with Gentry in the past, but never anything physical.
According to the MNCIS Web site, a state court reporting site, Christoffer was charged Thursday with fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both charges stemming from Tuesday's incident.
Her bail was set Friday at $5,000 and an initial appearance was set for Nov. 16. Gentry's bail was set at $35,000, and his initial appearance is also set for Nov.16.
