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Minnesota state senator's wife charged with domestic assault

Charlotte Tomassoni, 69, of Chisholm, was arrested Sunday night for domestic assault.

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(Dreamstime/TNS)
Dreamstime / TNS

CHISHOLM, Minn. — The wife of a Minnesota state senator was arrested Sunday night, Sept. 19, on charges that she physically abused her husband.

Charlotte Tomassoni, 69, of Chisholm, was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault, committing acts to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death. Her husband is Sen. David Tomassoni, an independent who represents District 6, including parts of Itasca and St. Louis counties.

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Charlotte Tomassoni

According to a police report by the Chisholm Police Department, an officer arrived at around 6:36 p.m. at the back door of the residence, where they found David Tomassoni sitting in the kitchen.

He told police officers that his wife, Charlotte, had been yelling at him earlier in the day and that “she was intoxicated and might be high on something,” the police report said. He said she was upset about “past family dynamics,” so he said he left the residence so she could “cool off for a while,” but returned around 4:30 to watch the Minnesota Vikings game on TV.

He told police his wife was still upset, so he went into the basement to get away from her. He said she came downstairs at that time and was yelling at him again. According to the report, she threw his computer and hit him in the chest with a broomstick before returning upstairs.

David Tomassoni was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Due to his ALS, he has lost a lot of his upper-body strength and he felt he wouldn’t be able to defend himself, the report said.

After she went back upstairs, she yelled down to him that if he came upstairs she was going to stab him with a knife, the report said.

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When police entered the home they found her lying on the living room couch, the report said. She was asked to stand up and was patted down for weapons. According to the police report, she appeared to be intoxicated as she was slurring her words, had poor balance and smelled of alcohol.

The report said police observed two 12-packs of beer bottles on the living room floor and several empty beer bottles on the coffee table and floor around the couch. Officers also allegedly observed two steak knives on the kitchen table.

Charlotte Tomassoni was convicted of fourth-degree driving while impaired in 2012 and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation.

Judge Bhupesh Pattni granted her conditional release shortly after arraignment Monday, where she pleaded not guilty. She was granted a public defender. Her next court date is Oct. 4.

Adelle Whitefoot is a former reporter for the Duluth News Tribune.
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