A man who allegedly threatened his brother with a rifle and hit him in the back with a shovel Wednesday west of Albert Lea was charged with two felonies Thursday in Freeborn County District Court.

Tyler Dain Christensen, 29, is charged with second-degree assault and intentionally discharging a firearm that endangers safety.

Court documents state Christensen was charged after the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office  was dispatched Wednesday on a report of a man being assaulted by his brother at 20643 715th Ave.

An argument between the brothers allegedly started after the victim told Christensen he needed to get a job, stop using drugs and pay for a place to live.

Court documents state the alleged victim punched Christensen before Christensen hit his brother in the lower part of his back with an aluminum shovel, causing the alleged victim to fall and scrape his elbow.

The victim allegedly then went to his vehicle and heard a gunshot.

Court documents state a witness said he was on the roof of the shed when he heard Christensen and his brother arguing and someone fall into a pile of wood. He reported hearing Christensen being choked and then the gunshot. 

Christensen allegedly told deputies the argument was about being called lazy and being told he needed to get a job. He admitted to following his brother and firing a .22-caliber long rifle he retrieved from a shed into the air to scare him, court documents state.Judge Ross Leuning set conditional bail at $10,000, contingent on Christensen having no contact with the alleged victim, not entering bars or liquor stores and signing a waiver of extradition. A domestic abuse no-contact order was issued.

A settlement conference is scheduled for Sept. 12.

See what happened last night in the PM report here.