James Nelson (OTCDF)
Fergus Falls, MN – A 43-year-old New York Mills man was arrested in a mental health facility earlier this week after “attacking his furniture” and filling the unit with fire extinguisher dust, causing the facility to temporarily close.
According to court documents, the Fergus Falls Police Department responded to a crisis stabilization unit in Fergus Falls on Wednesday (November 20th) after receiving a report that James Donald Nelson was throwing furniture around and making possible homicidal threats toward staff members. Upon officer arrival, the air was hazy due to excessive use of a fire extinguisher. Officials say Nelson was sitting outside the unit and appeared docile at the moment.
A staff member told officers that Nelson had become irate and began breaking items in his room, including tables and a bed. They said at some point, he grabbed a fire extinguisher and began spraying its contents all over the unit. He then approached the staff member in a threatening manner with the fire extinguisher, making them afraid that they were in danger of being assaulted.
The unit had to close their facility due to health concerns and the amount of damage sustained caused by the incident. The interior of the facility was coated with a white powder or dust from the fire extinguisher. A responding officer was periodically coughing from the fire extinguisher contents in the air, and the fire alarm had been activated and sounding. Staff indicated the unit would need a professional cleaner due to the fire extinguisher contents. The estimated cost for cleaning was $2,500.
Nelson was placed under arrest and spoke with an officer. He told the officer that he had been notified that he was being kicked out of the unit. He stated that he, “got really pissed and attacked my room and sprayed the fire extinguisher all over and that was it.”
Nelson made his first court appearance on Friday (November 22nd) and has been charged with one felony count of 1st Degree Criminal Damage to Property and one misdemeanor count of 5th Degree Assault.
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