A man punched a woman in the face and pinned her down until an officer pushed him away, according to charges. Police responded around 1:33 a.m. Sept. 19 to a residence in North Mankato after callers reported yelling and arguing.
Liem Mach Liem, 29, of Mankato, is charged with felony third-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm and misdemeanor fifth-degree assault.
An officer looking through a side entrance saw Liem on top of the woman on a stairwell, holding her down by her head, according to the complaint. Another man was trying unsuccessfully to pull him away. The officer entered, announced his presence and pushed Liem off her.
Two people in the home told police they had been trying to get Liem to leave for hours. They said the woman was standing near the door to close it after he left when he began punching her in the face. The struggle briefly moved outside before both returned to the residence.
The woman told police Liem struck her with closed fists. She said she remembered little else besides trying to grab his hair to get him off her.
An officer saw swelling on her forehead and helped her stand because she was unsteady. After ambulance staff checked her, she initially declined transport because of cost concerns, the complaint says.
She later reported significant back pain and severe pain in her right arm, which she could not move. An officer saw swelling between her shoulder and elbow and suspected a fracture. The woman arranged for a friend to take her to a hospital; the complaint does not report a confirmed diagnosis.
Liem told officers he had come to the home with another person who argued with the woman and left. He said he remembered waiting in the living room and then tackling the woman and pinning her down.
He acknowledged drinking three alcoholic beverages. An officer took him to a detoxification center after he became aggressive and refused to provide a preliminary breath sample, according to the complaint.
