DETROIT LAKES — James William Varno, 56, of Audubon, has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony threats of violence and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

According to court records, on the evening of April 10, 2024, he was arrested for disorderly conduct after an Audubon police officer saw him yelling profanities out in the street as he drove by. Varno was walking drunkenly down the sidewalk and continued to curse and yell until the officer stopped and arrested him for disorderly conduct.

He then swore at and threatened the officer multiple times on the way to jail, and repeated a threat to kill the officer the next morning to a staff person at the Becker County Jail.

On April 12, he was released without bail under standard conditions that include no drinking or illegal drugs, no possession of guns or other dangerous weapons, and no unnecessary contact with the officer.

A pre-trial hearing is set for Aug. 13, with an Aug. 29 trial date.

Angela Lee Kier, 41, of Detroit Lakes, has been sentenced in Becker County District Court for felony third-degree assault.

A felony charge of simple robbery was dismissed, and there was no adjudication on a misdemeanor fifth-degree assault conviction. She was convicted on the two assault charges by a jury on Jan. 24.

According to court records, at around 2:16 a.m. on June 3, 2023, Detroit Lakes police officers responded to a report of an assault outside of Zorbaz in Detroit Lakes.

Kier was one of three women who assaulted another woman. All three were charged. The victim stated Kier grabbed her by the hair and started punching her, which caused her to fall to the ground. The other two women joined in on kicking her in the head and face. During this time, the victim grabbed Kier's leg and bit it.

A witness to the assault said she saw a woman with black hair and a pink shirt punching the victim in the head, and said there were three women who were hurting the victim during the altercation. The witness said the women had the victim's neck pinned on the running boards of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk area. The witness then called 911.

The three took the victim’s purse and left in a car. They were pulled over a short time later on Washington Avenue in Detroit Lakes. The victim went to the emergency room for treatment of a broken nose and bruised face.

On April 11, District Judge Michelle Lawson issued a stay of imposition on the felony assault charge. Successful completion of probation will result in a misdemeanor conviction.

Kier was ordered to serve 30 days in jail, with credit for one day served. She was authorized to serve the time via electronic home monitoring at her own expense. She was fined $500 plus $150 in court fees.

She was ordered not to drink or use mood-altering chemicals and complete a comprehensive assessment and follow all recommendations, including aftercare. She was also ordered to attend all mental health appointments as scheduled and follow all recommendations of the provider.

She was placed on supervised probation for 5 years.

Alanna Marie Sturdevant, 18, Detroit Lakes, has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony fourth-degree assault and misdemeanor underage drinking.

According to court records, on April 10, a White Earth police officer received a report of people fighting at a residence in Waubun. Upon arrival, he saw a male lying down in the ditch and a female, later identified as Sturdevant, sitting on the shoulder of the road. The male got up and ran, and Sturdevant approached the patrol vehicle.

While speaking with the officer, Sturdevant’s speech was slurred and the officer could smell alcohol. She became argumentative but provided a preliminary breath test sample of .22 % blood alcohol concentration.

She was arrested and brought to the Becker County Jail. As a jailer was changing her out, Sturdevant threw a bloody personal sanitation napkin at the jailer, hitting her.

Hitting a law enforcement officer or corrections officer with bodily fluids or feces is a felony.

On April 12, Sturdevant was released without bail, under standard conditions that include no alcohol or mood-altering chemicals and that she submit to random testing. Her request for a public defender was approved.

Shane Kyle Harris, 31, of Lake Park, was charged in Becker County District Court with felony fifth-degree drugs and misdemeanor driving after his license was suspended.

According to court records, on the afternoon of Oct.15, 2023, he was pulled over on Highway 10 for driving with a suspended driver’s license and for an active warrant.

He was arrested, and a search turned up a small bag in his pants pocket that contained a crystal-like substance, which field-tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 0.9 grams.

On April 10, the charge was dismissed due to prosecutorial discretion, according to court records.