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New bond conditions allow defendant to work out of state

A man accused of assaulting a family member’s accused rapist and terrorizing the man’s son and grandchildren on Oct. 2 will be allowed to leave the state to live and work.

Kyle Edward Coffman, 35, asked Judge Richard Hagar on Friday to modify his bond conditions so he can work in Washington state. Hagar agreed over the objection of the alleged victim’s daughter, who testified in opposition to Coffman’s request.

Coffman’s lawyer, Ashley Gulke, submitted letter from a bonding company that it does not object to allowing Coffman to leave the state.

The bonding company put up Coffman’s $25,000 bond. Gulke said Coffman has every intention of returning to North Dakota for all his scheduled court dates and has provided an address for the house he owns and in which he will be staying in Puyallup, Wash. Coffman’s wife also lives in Minot and he has lived here for several years.

Hagar said a $25,000 bond seems a little low to him, given what Coffman is accused of doing, but Coffman has a constitutional right to bond and is presumed innocent of the crime. He said he appreciates the position of the alleged victims, but was still going to grant the modification in bond.

The alleged victim’s 13-year-old grandson and 11-year-old granddaughter were in the apartment when Coffman allegedly broke in, pointed a gun at their uncle and demanded to know where their grandfather was, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case. Their uncle told the children to go into their bedroom and shut the door behind them. Coffman forced the man to go into his room. The alleged victim heard commotion, came to investigate, and saw Coffman standing inside his apartment holding a gun. He wrestled with Coffman for control of the gun and Coffman struck him on the top of the head with a firearm. The gun went off during the struggle. The alleged victim’s son came out of his room and was able to get the gun away from Coffman. He pointed it at Coffman, who fled the apartment.

Coffman allegedly went to the home to confront the man after he had received a phone call from a family member telling him she had been raped. No charges have been filed against the alleged victim. Gulke said at a previous court hearing that the police decided it was a “he said-she said” case and didn’t arrest the man.

The mother of the 13- and 11-year-old children in the incident testified at a bond hearing for Coffman earlier this month that the entire family has been traumatized by the incident. After her testimony, Judge Gary Lee declined to lower the $25,000 bond that had originally been set by Judge Todd Cresap.

Coffman subsequently posted that $25,000 bond.

On Friday, the alleged victim’s daughter testified at the hearing that she doesn’t think Coffman should be allowed to leave the state because of the number of charges against him and she fears that he wouldn’t come back for court appearances. Coffman is charged with Class B felony burglary and Class C felony terrorizing, Class C felony aggravated assault and Class C felony reckless endangerment. There is a protection order in place keeping Coffman from contacting any of the alleged victims or their family members.

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