A Hayward man who allegedly cut a woman on the leg made his first appearance on Wednesday in Mower County District Court.

Nethaniel Harris Tusen, 25, was charged with felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor domestic assault.

According to the court complaint, Austin police officers responded to a call at 7:35 p.m. on Tuesday at the Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin emergency room. They met with a woman who said Tusen assaulted her at her residence in the 400 block of 27th Street Southwest and that she was afraid for the safety of her children at the residence.

She described Tusen as “very volatile” and said he had “mental issues,” according to the report. She said she was in her bedroom when he asked her for some water, but before she could respond, he began punching holes in the wall and yelling. He then threw objects and broke them, leaving broken glass on the floor. He indicated that he wanted to take the bedroom door off the hinges, but when it would not come off, he proceeded to stab the door with a screwdriver. He sat on the floor and continued stabbing the door.

She said she tried to leave, but he “slashed” her on the leg with something. She did not know what.

The report states that she left the residence and drove to a park, unaware she had been cut. Officers observed a four-inch cut on the outside of her left calf. They also observed two superficial cuts on the inside of her calf.

The officers then made contact with Tusen, who said he and the victim argued, but he never touched her, according to the report. He said she was not cut when she left and that she was a cutter and probably cut herself.

The maximum penalty for second-degree assault in Minnesota is 10 years in prison.

Tusen’s next court appearance will be Nov. 13.