A 21-year-old Rush City man is facing charges after allegedly firing a gun in the air while intoxicated.
According to the criminal complaint, a deputy was called to a property on Raspberry Road just before 1 a.m. Monday with the report of two hang-up 911 calls. When the deputy approached the property, the complaint noted that the lights were on and he could see a woman crying on a couch.
When the deputy reportedly knocked on the door and announced himself, the woman left the couch to tell someone else in the residence that a flashlight was shining in the window.
The deputy then reported hearing gunshots from the building and retreated to call for backup.
While law enforcement waited for the SWAT team to arrive, a woman, identified as Emily Ballard, tried to leave the property in a vehicle with another man; however, the road was blocked by first responders and the pair returned to the home.
Later, Emily and 21-year-old Darian Ballard exited the house while Darian’s girlfriend remained inside.
Darian told deputies that he had fired four or five warning shots from a shotgun after Emily told him someone had shined a laser in the house. He denied using any other firearms. The complaint noted that he smelled of alcohol and admitted to drinking alcohol earlier.
Emily told law enforcement that she had been sleeping on the couch in the living room, and she had gotten into an argument with Darian because he had dumped a jug of water on her.
She claimed that she accidentally dialed 911 when she was trying to turn off her cellphone and told the dispatcher she called by mistake.
Emily said she laid down on the couch again and saw a red laser on her chest coming through the living room window. She told officers that Darian fired four or five shots outside but did not see where he was shooting.
She also said that she tried to leave for her father's house in Cambridge but discovered law enforcement had blocked the road.
Darian’s girlfriend told law enforcement that Emily and Darian had been at the Pine City Rodeo and were drunk before getting into a fight.
She said that Darian fired a shotgun out the window to the west to scare off whoever was pointing a laser at Emily. After firing the shotgun, she claimed that he fired a rifle out the window.
Darian later told investigators that he fired the rifle as warning shots, but he did not know how many rounds he fired. Law enforcement located 48 rifle casings along with a Ford Taurus and a barn with bullet holes.
A breath test showed Darian's blood alcohol concentration was .14.
Several firearms were located inside the home.
He has been charged with felony dangerous weapons - intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety.
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