A Lyle man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Mower County Court to charges that he hid in a cornfield with a shotgun and led authorities on a three-hour manhunt.

Jansen

Brian Jerome Jansen, 42, pleaded not guilty to two felonies: second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a short-barrel shotgun, and two gross misdemeanors for fourth-degree assault of an officer and obstructing the legal process.

According to the court complaint, Jansen emerged from the cornfield with the barrel of his shotgun in his mouth. He 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, 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 his rifle, which caused Jansen to drop the shotgun. Jansen was not struck by a bullet in the scuffle.

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 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 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 pretrial is set for Sept. 6. He is held in the Mower County jail on $250,000 bail.