A 27-year-old Brainerd man has been charged in the Crow Wing County District with felony domestic assault by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic assault intentionally inflicting bodily harm.

On August 22nd at about 1:17 a.m., the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic assault call at a home on County Road 22 in Brainerd. The reporting party indicated that a neighbor had come to his home for help and said that her husband had punched her in the face.

According to the criminal complaint, the woman told deputies that she and the defendant, Zachery Adam Philstrom, 27, of Brainerd, had gone to Paradise Beach Bar that evening. On the way home, Philstrom punched her twice in the face, on the side of her head and also pushed her head down on the center console.

When they pulled up to a driveway, Philstrom climbed over the console and got on top of the woman, grabbing her around her neck and chocking her with both of his hands.

Philstrom then pushed the woman out of the vehicle and they went inside. The complaint goes on to explain that Philstrom was mad that the house was not clean and started to yell. He then grabbed a shotgun shell that was being used for decoration and made a comment similar to “I will show you a bullet”. Philstrom then walked towards the bedroom where he had two shotguns, and that’s when the woman said she fled from the home in fear.

The woman told deputies that Philstrom got in his vehicle to look for her and at one point, the woman said she had to lay down in grass behind the home to hide. She then went to the neighbors’ house and asked for help.

The woman also reported that she has a long history of abuse by Philstrom but has covered up for him in the past.

Philstrom’s next court hearing is November 25th.

By — Destiny Wiggins