BENSON — A Benson man was sentenced to 36 months in prison after he was accused of pointing and firing a handgun during an argument.
Andrew Hunter Busch, 23, was sentenced Feb. 14 in Swift County District Court on one count of second-degree assault, a felony, and an amended misdemeanor charge of recklessly handling a dangerous weapon.
The misdemeanor was reduced from a felony charge of intentionally discharging a firearm. The charge was amended as part of a plea agreement that also dismissed two other felonies — second-degree assault and terroristic threats.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge David Mennis also ordered a 90-day jail sentence for the misdemeanor charge, for which Busch received full credit for already serving.
Under Minnesota law, convicted offenders must serve two-thirds of their sentence in custody before being eligible for supervised release. According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Busch’s expected release date is Oct. 21, 2024.
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According to the criminal complaint, Swift County sheriff's deputies responded to a report of domestic dispute in progress at a residence in Appleton. While traveling to the address, the officer were advised that shots had been fired.
Upon arrival, deputies met Busch outside a vehicle at the residence. Busch followed commands and was placed in handcuffs.
Deputies tried to speak with a woman in the vehicle, but she refused.
In the vehicle, the deputy located a loaded magazine with .45-caliber ammunition under the center console. The deputy also found a spent .45 shell casing on the passenger side floor.
The woman who had reported the dispute told law enforcement that she had been in her garage when she heard Busch and the first woman arguing while they were parked nearby, according to the complaint.
When the woman who resides at the residence went out to talk with the woman in the vehicle, Busch opened the passenger side door, opened the glove compartment and grabbed a handgun. According to the complaint, Busch then threatened both women that he would shoot them before he fired one round in the air.
The woman who lived there then ran into the house to call 911 and heard a second shot as she did so. She told law enforcement that she was scared because she didn’t know if Busch had shot the other woman, according to the complaint.
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