Cornfield manhunt suspects pleads guilty to weapon, assault charges
Published 10:37 am Friday, September 7, 2012
A Lyle man changed his plea Thursday in Mower County Court on charges that he hid in a cornfield with a shotgun and kept authorities on a three-hour manhunt.
Brian Jerome Jansen, 42, pleaded guilty to two charges: felony possession of a short-barrel shotgun and gross misdemeanor fourth-degree assault of a peace officer. Another felony, second-degree assault, and gross misdemeanor, obstructing the legal process, were dismissed.
According to the court complaint Jansen, 42, emerged from a cornfield on July 11 with the barrel of his shotgun in his mouth. Jansen refused to drop the gun after multiple orders from officers; however, Mower County Deputy Jason Bresser moved close enough and found an opportunity to fire a taser at Jansen from 15 feet, according to the complaint. Jansen allegedly fell backward and fired a shot over his shoulder. He then got back to his feet and pointed the shotgun at Bresser’s midsection, according to the complaint. Bresser said he believed Jansen would have killed him, so Bresser fired a round from his rifle, which caused Jansen to drop the shotgun. Jansen was not struck by a bullet in the altercation.
The fiasco began at about 2:30 p.m. on July 11 when Jansen called a neighbor for a ride because a tire on his bike was flat. According to the complaint, Jansen re-emerged from his home with a shotgun and was fumbling with the shells while trying to load them. The complaint also states Jansen threw shotgun shells at a woman in the house before he came outside. The neighbor mentioned Jansen appeared to be intoxicated and upset, so he drove away from the home but soon after heard two gunshots and called 911.
A deputy arrived several minutes later and saw Jansen sitting on a Quonset hut with a gun, but Jansen walked into the cornfield when ordered to drop the gun, according to the complaint. Jansen did not re-emerge for nearly three hours, after which he was arrested.
Authorities took Jansen to the Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin where he was treated for a minor wound and then placed him in the Mower County Jail.
Jansen’s sentencing is set for Nov. 30.