A Minot man charged with assaulting a Ward County Jail corrections officer was found not guilty after a two-day jury trial in North Central District Court in Minot on Wednesday.

The jury trial for Robert Lee Christianson, 29, Minot, was set to run three days, but the jury returned a verdict Wednesday afternoon, shortly after being sent to deliberate. Christianson had been charged in January of last year after an incident at the Ward County Jail and was accused of assaulting and choking a correctional officer.

Christianson was found not guilty of the single count of aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, law enforcement, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $20,000 or both. Christianson was represented by public defender attorney Eric Baumann.