Man Charged with Domestic Assault

Inver Grove Heights resident Dana John Petersen has been charged with felony domestic assault and terroristic threats and faces up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine for each count.

The charges from Dakota County on the 51-year-old man came after an incident earlier this month.

According to the criminal complaint police were called to the home by a woman when Petersen had yelled at her and pinned her to the couch before giving her a "hickey" on her neck.

"She said he told her she should show this mark to another male she had been spending time with," according to the complaint.

Throughout the night and next morning Petersen allegedly continued to threaten the woman.

A witness said she overheard Petersen yell at the woman for "what she thought was over six hours," the criminal complaint stated. The same witness also heard the man tell the woman he would kill her if she saw a certain man another time.

"She said he had also grabbed her hair and forcefully turned her head seven or eight times," the complaint stated. "During the disturbance, (the woman) said Petersen had told her she was lucky he didn’t smash her head through the window."

When the woman tried to leave Petersen disabled her car, according to the complaint.

When police talked to Petersen he said he had given the woman "a chance to apologize for being gone and that he would then stop yelling at her." He also said he told her she was "’lucky’ he is in control because other men would kill their wife."

Petersen has had four prior qualified domestic-violence related offense convictions in the last ten years. In 2003 he was charged with Interference with 911 call; in 2010- fifth degree assault and malicious punishment of a child; and in 2011 he was charged with fourth-degree assault on a peace officer- demonstrable bodily harm. Additionally he’s been charged with cocaine possession, first-degree burglary and DWI violations.