Man arrested for assaulting deputy, threatening deputies’ families

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A Fargo man is facing multiple serious charges after authorities say he assaulted a deputy and threatened other deputies’ families.

The Barnes County Sheriff’s Department says on August 21, they were alerted that 49-year-old Dustin Lende was making his way from Cass County to Barnes County, after a run-in with officials in Cass County.

A bit later, staff at a Valley City hotel called authorities to say a man was in the lobby ‘acting strange.’ That man turned out to be Lende, and Barnes County deputies went to chat with him.

When deputies arrived, Lende got aggressive and authorities say he attacked one deputy and made terroristic threats against other deputies’ families.

Lende was then arrested for assaulting a peace officer, resisting arrest and terrorizing. He’s held on a $5,000 cash bond.

The deputy assaulted in the case has minor injuries and is expected back at work soon, according to the sheriff’s office.