Burnsville Man Charged with Domestic Assault

A Burnsville man has been charged with domestic assault after police say he ripped a piercing out of his victim’s breast and grabbed her cell phone to keep her from calling 911.

Charles Edward Baxter, 50, is charged with interfering with an emergency telephone call, domestic assault and disorderly conduct in connection with the incident last week.

According to the complaint against Baxter, officers were called to a home in the 14600 block of Southhampton Drive just after 9:30 p.m. June 3 after receiving a report of a domestic assault.

When police arrived, the victim said she and Baxter had gotten into an argument which escalated and became physical, according to the complaint.

“[The victim] stated that during the incident, [Baxter] grabbed her breasts, ripping a piercing in her breast and causing it to bleed,” the complaint says.

When the victim tried to call 911, Baxter took the phone away from her, according to the complaint. She told police that she ran to the lower level of the home and yelled for her roommate to call 911, at which point Baxter threw her cell phone down the stairs toward her.

Baxter admitted to police that he had taken away the victim’s phone, but said he wasn’t aware she was trying to call police. He denied assaulting her and said her breast “normally” bled because of her piercings.

Later, after Baxter was arrested and taken to the police station, he told officers that he might have “bumped” the victim’s breast, causing the nipple to begin bleeding.

An omnibus hearing in Baxter’s case is scheduled for Sept. 1 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.