by April Scheinoha
Editor
A Lake Bronson man has been charged in Kittson County District Court after he allegedly shot another man in the leg Saturday night.
Ochert Hendrik Van der Walt, 47, has been charged with felony offenses of first degree assault and second degree assault. He was arrested early the next morning and remains in custody at the Pennington County Jail on behalf of the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office.
The alleged victim sought medical care at Sanford Medical Center in Thief River Falls, according to the complaint. He suffered a graze mark on his left leg and “severe trauma to the rear calf of the right leg.”
The charges stemmed from a report to the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office from the Sanford Medical Center Emergency Room at about 9:09 p.m. Saturday. It was reported that staff were treating a man who had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.
A Kittson County sheriff’s deputy traveled to Sanford Medical Center and spoke with the man. The complaint indicated “there was an odor of alcohol in the room.” The man said Van der Walt became upset while attending a barbecue at the man’s home in Halma. Van der Walt then went to his own home in Lake Bronson.
Seeing that Van der Walt was upset, the man went to Van der Walt’s home to ask him what was occurring. A verbal argument ensued. Van der Walt allegedly threatened the man and struck him twice in the head with a shotgun, causing an injury on the top of his head and a laceration below his left eye. He also said he was going to kill the man. The man initially told the deputy that he had turned around and Van der Walt had fired two shots. One of the shots hit him in the leg.
The deputy spoke to the man again later that day. The man said he doesn’t know why Van der Walt left his property. He indicated that he went to Van der Walt’s cabin to ask what was occurring and a verbal argument ensued. After the man exited the cabin, he saw Van der Walt had left the cabin – with a shotgun in his hand and pointing it upward. He then allegedly hit the man in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. As the man tried to take the gun away from Van der Walt outside, the shotgun fired.
Van der Walt allegedly said the man raised his voice to him, so he went home. After arriving home, he said there was a lot of grouse, so he fired four to five shots with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun in front of the cabin. He said he went back inside the shotgun and was warming up some food when the man arrived. Van der Walt said the man was pushing the door, screaming and shouting. After Van der Walt opened the door, the man allegedly began pushing and slapping him. Van der Walt told the man to leave, but he continued to fight with him. He said he tried to lock the door, but the man returned and said he was fed up with Van der Walt.
Van der Walt allegedly said they both grabbed the gun, which was close to the door. He said he doesn’t remember who grabbed it first. As they struggled for the gun, a shot fired. He said he hit the man “in the face with the gun to try to get it loose.” The struggle continued outside with Van der Walt eventually gaining control of the gun and throwing it inside the cabin. He said he then went inside and locked the doors. The man then left.