A Deer River man threatened to harm law enforcement and others during a profanity-laced 911 call, then refused sobriety tests after deputies stopped him in Grand Rapids, according to charges.
Nathan Francis Niehoff, 43, faces two counts of threats of violence, two counts of second-degree driving while intoxicated and one count of driving after cancellation for public safety reasons.
According to the complaint, the events began on the morning of Thursday, September 24, 2026, when a deputy attempted to serve Niehoff with civil paperwork at a Grand Rapids residence. A person at the home said Niehoff was not there and only stayed at the address occasionally. The deputy noticed a white Ford pickup believed to belong to Niehoff parked in the driveway but left after not finding him.
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About an hour later, dispatchers received a 911 call from Niehoff, who was described as very upset. During the call, Niehoff told dispatch that law enforcement should stop looking for him and made several threatening and sexually explicit statements. He said he was getting angry and was about to “f*** somebody up soon,” then yelled at the dispatcher to stay away from him and threatened to assault the dispatcher directly.
Niehoff demanded confirmation that the dispatcher understood his threats before the call was transferred to the deputy.
When the deputy spoke with Niehoff, Niehoff cursed at him, said he did not care about the civil order and threatened to have another person jailed. He also stated he planned to go to that person’s residence to pick up his mail, which the deputy warned would violate a harassment restraining order. Niehoff ended the call. The deputy noted Niehoff sounded intoxicated and had slurred speech.
Deputies learned that Niehoff had sent multiple text messages to the victim, including one two days earlier that referenced people getting drunk and being raped. Based on this, deputies determined there was probable cause to believe Niehoff had violated an order for protection.
Deputies then staged near the Grand Rapids address where Niehoff was believed to be. They saw Niehoff drive away in a Buick Lucerne and initiated a traffic stop. The complaint states Niehoff swerved toward the ditch as if he might flee, but then stopped, got out and approached the deputy. The deputy told Niehoff he was under arrest and began handcuffing him. The deputy reported a strong odor of alcohol on Niehoff’s breath, and Niehoff admitted to drinking that morning.
A records check showed Niehoff’s license was canceled for public safety reasons. While in the squad vehicle, Niehoff began banging his head against the window. He refused both a preliminary breath test and field sobriety tests. After being read his Miranda rights, Niehoff yelled at the deputy and told him to “shut the f*** up.”
Niehoff was transported to Grand Itasca Hospital for a blood draw. During the ride, he continued to yell and told the deputy, “You don’t want to see me p***** off because I’m going to rip your f***ing head off. If I see you walking down the road, I probably will at this point.” At the hospital, Niehoff refused to submit to a chemical test and began kicking the cage of the squad vehicle, saying he pays taxes and can do whatever he wants.
The deputy was unable to reach a judge to sign a search warrant for a blood draw.
The charges include two counts of threats of violence for the statements made to dispatch and the deputy, two counts of second-degree DWI for refusing sobriety and chemical tests and operating under the influence and one count of driving after cancellation for public safety reasons.
The complaint was filed Friday, September 25.
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