Mar. 27—LE CENTER — A Le Sueur man was charged with felonies for assault Monday after a woman accused him of smashing her head into a fridge.

Brett William Schroer Nichols, 22, faces a felony for second-degree assault, a felony for third-degree assault and a misdemeanor for domestic assault in Le Sueur County District Court.

According to a criminal complaint:

The woman called police Saturday to report a monthslong pattern of abuse from Nichols. Police arrived and reported she had two electric Tasers in her sleeves for protection, and they suspected she was experiencing a mental health crisis and was under the influence of a controlled substance.

She reportedly said she had been drinking earlier in the day but was now experiencing an anxiety attack and had mental health disorders.

The woman told police Nichols had smashed her head into the fridge and threw her into a bedframe. He broke her ribs during one assault, she said, causing her to need hospitalization in Le Sueur and Mankato.

Nichols at one point threatened her with a knife, she added. She reported not wanting Nichols to get arrested, but rather removed from the residence.

After the victim was transported to a hospital in Shakopee, an officer photographed bruises on her legs and arms.

Police later located Nichols at the residence and asked him about the allegations. He said he needed to talk to the woman right away and attempted to run inside, leading police to physically subdue and arrest him.

He resisted arrest, police said, and accused the officers of harassing him. He declined to provide a statement while in custody.

The woman called police after the arrest saying she "just wanted him to be removed from my home, so I can feel safe." An officer told her there was a mandatory arrest law for domestic assault given the serious injuries she reported.

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