Man Accused of Trying to Strangle Burnsville Woman

A Minneapolis man has been charged with domestic assault after an incident this week in which police say he asked his victim if she wanted to be “hit now or later,” then punched her until she passed out and attempted to strangle her.

Taejon James Hansen, 20, faces a felony charge of domestic assault by strangulation, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of fifth-degree assault, which has a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. 

Hansen remained in the Dakota County Jail Thursday on a $40,000 bond. He also faces a felony probation violation charge in Hennepin County. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled Oct. 3 in Dakota County District Court in Hastings.

According to the criminal complaint, Hansen’s victim called police Sept. 11 and told them that Hansen asked to come to her home and collect some of his belongings. The two sat on the couch and talked, and then the victim told Hansen it was time for him to leave.

“Hansen got upset and asked the victim if she wanted to be hit now or later,” the complaint says.

When the victim told Hansen again that he needed to leave, he punched her in the face, then pulled her off the couch by the ankle and continued punching her face while straddling her on the floor, according to the complaint.

The victim began screaming and put a pillow over her face to shield it; Hansen grabbed the pillow and continued to punch her until she passed out, the complaint says.

As she regained consciousness, Hansen rolled the victim over onto her stomach, sat on her back, put his hands around her neck and squeezed so that she couldn’t breathe or scream, according to the complaint.

A neighbor, hearing the victim’s screams, got into the apartment and told police she saw Hansen strangling the victim. She said she also saw Hansen stick his fingers in the victim’s mouth and pull it apart as far as he could.

The neighbor pulled Hansen off the victim, and Hansen began wrestling with the neighbor, who was able to put him into a hold. Hansen then reached around and stuck his finger in the neighbor’s eye, causing it to bleed and leaving red marks, the complaint says.

Hansen told the neighbor he strangled the victim because she was cheating on him, then ran away from the home, according to the complaint.

Hansen’s criminal history includes a conviction for assault with a dangerous weapon in 2008, when he was 17 years old.