A former Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension forensic scientist charged with third-degree assault for punching a female co-worker was sentenced Tuesday in Beltrami County District Court.
District Judge Terrance Holter sentenced Steven Grant Fischer, 33, of Bemidji, to 15 days in jail and five years supervised probation as conditions of a five-year stay of imposition. Fischer is also required to pay a $200 fine, pay $726.84 in restitution to the victim and submit to DNA testing. He is also prohibited from having contact with the victim or her family.
On the morning of Sept. 24, 2004, Fischer punched a 27-year-old lab technician several times in the face at the BCA Bemidji Regional Office.
The woman was transported to North Country Regional Hospital, where she was treated for a fracture to an occipital bone in her face.
According to the criminal complaint, the two BCA employees had engaged in verbal disagreements in the past. On the morning of the assault, Fischer allegedly accused the woman of making insulting remarks about him to other employees. The woman asked Fischer to specify what he was talking about. When he refused, the woman told Fischer that she was upset over his accusations, the complaint states. At that point, Fischer
