An Austin man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Mower County Court to five criminal charges for allegedly assaulting his brother.

Verne Olson, 25, pleaded not guilty to felony domestic assault by strangulation and gross misdemeanor domestic assault for subsequent violation. He pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor possession of synthetic marijuana and petty misdemeanor charges for a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia.

According to the court complaint, police responded to a call at about 12:15 p.m. Aug. 12 that one man had been put by his brother in a choke hold and nearly went unconscious. When police arrived, they arrested Olson and spoke to the 23-year-old victim and a woman. According to the complaint, the victim and woman were with a child who began laughing, which woke Olson. The complaint adds the woman intervened in the fight, and she, the victim and child went to a separate room and called 911.

Olson asked an officer to retrieve his prescription pills from his bedroom; however, the officer then found synthetic marijuana, a small amount of marijuana, a marijuana pipe and digital scale, according to the complaint.

Olson’s pretrial is Oct. 19.