Sauk Rapids Man Charged After Drunken Assault and Standoff

SAUK RAPIDS -- A Sauk Rapids man faces several charges after a bizarre chain of events last week.

According to the complaint filed in Benton County District Court, sheriff's deputies were called to an area in the 8500 block of Highway 95 Northeast at around 4:00 p.m. Friday. The caller said 42-year-old Jesse Kent had been drinking heavily and was walking toward an address a half-mile away where there was a domestic abuse no-contact order against him.

Deputies arrived at the scene and followed footprints in the snow but did not find Kent at that address. However, another man called police and said he had been hunting on adjacent land behind the home and while sitting in his truck, Kent climbed in without permission and starting punching the truck owner in the face 10-20 times. Kent also allegedly tried to take the man's rifle and truck keys during a struggle that lasted several minutes.

Officers later located Kent on the front steps to the house and heard him make comments similar to "come and get me" before entering the house. Records show Kent then came back out of in a shooting stance while pointing what looked like a gun toward officers.

Deputies backed up their squad cars and called in the SWAT team to enter the home and arrest Kent. Police say they found him in the bathtub with a smashed air pistol also in the home.

Kent is charged with five felonies including theft of a gun, 1st-degree aggravated robbery, simple robbery, threats of violence and attempted auto theft. He also is charged with two misdemeanor counts of 5th-degree assault and violating a no-contact order.

Kent is due in court December 4th.