Awada's husband accused of hitting son with chair

Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN)

Author: Jim Adams

The husband of State Auditor Pat Awada has been accused of hitting their teenage son with a chair after an argument about the boy coming home late, according to court documents.

Michael E. Awada, 39, was released without bail after being arraigned Friday in Dakota County District Court on a charge of malicious punishment of a child, a gross misdemeanor, said Eagan Police Chief Kent Therkelsen.

Therkelsen said the teen had a swollen arm when officers arrived about 9 p.m. Thursday. He was taken to a hospital, where it was found that he had a deep bruise but no broken bones, the chief said.

``Both my son and my husband regret that the dispute occurred,'' Pat Awada said in a prepared statement. ``We are a typical family where even people who love each other can have an argument that gets out of hand.''

Nothing like the incident has happened before, and the family will work to prevent a recurrence, she said. Therkelsen said police had had no previous domestic calls to the Awada home involving family disputes.

The criminal complaint said the boy told police the argument started after his bicycling privileges were suspended because he got home two hours late from a bike ride.

The boy said that he tried to put his father in an arm lock but that his father broke free and picked up a chair. The boy dared his father to strike him and the father did, then left his son's bedroom.

The boy went out his bedroom window and called police from a neighbor's house. Michael Awada confirmed his son's story to police, the complaint said.

Jim Adams is at jadams@startribune.com.