Braun convicted on assault charge

Steven Lee Braun, 54, homeless, previously of Royalton, was sentenced in Morrison County District Court to 126 days in local confinement and supervised probation for five years and fined $50 for one felony count of assault. One felony count of assault by strangulation was dismissed.

If Braun breaks the conditions of his supervised probation, which include following all recommendations of a comprehensive assessment, no contact with the victim and paying restitution, he faces up to 21 months in a correctional facility.

The charges stem from a Dec. 14, 2023 incident, when an investigator sergeant of the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an assault occurring at a residence on West Centre Street in Royalton. The sergeant and other officers responded to the report and made contact with the victim. The victim reported that Braun had been drinking a mixture of vodka and Mountain Dew for the last two days, according to the report.

The victim allegedly said Braun became verbally assaultive toward her and eventually he started becoming physically aggressive as well. At one point, he allegedly grabbed her around the neck and threw her on the floor in the living room. Per the report, Braun then sat on top of her with all his weight. The victim said he grabbed her around the neck with one hand, causing difficulty breathing. She said she feared for her life at that point.

According to the report, Braun eventually let her up and she then ran into a different room. Eventually they ended up in the kitchen where he once again allegeldy threw her onto the floor and sat down on top of her. At that point, he allegedly put both hands around her neck. The victim said she definitely could not breathe and it was hurting her side and chest area. She said she was able to call her sister for assistance. Her sister, in turn, contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report the assault.

The sergeant took photographs of the damage in the residence, including the living room area where Braun pushed some tables over. There was also a hole in the wall where Braun punched the wall. The sergeant also took photographs of the victim’s neck which showed signs of redness, according to the report.

An examination of Braun’s criminal record showed he has a prior conviction for threats of violence from January 2017 in Carlton County. He also has a conviction for assault from September 2017 in Anoka County. The prior convictions enhanced the offense.