Harwood man accused of choking and beating woman

FARGO - Police here say a Harwood, N.D., man is accused of beating a woman with a baseball bat and choking her in a south Fargo apartment Sunday.

Officers were called at 6:07 a.m. to a disturbance at a second-floor apartment in the 1300 block of Sixth Avenue South.

The suspect was allegedly on top of the 42-year-old victim and choking her when officers arrived. He allegedly ignored officers' commands to get off of the woman, at which point police used a Taser on him, Lykken said.

Dana Andrew Poitra, 43, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, burglary and violation of a protection order.

The victim sustained injuries to her face and arm, believed to have been caused by a metal pipe or baseball bat, Lykken said, adding a baseball bat was recovered at the scene.

Officers found evidence that the apartment's door had been kicked in, he said.