Montevideo, Minnesota, man sentenced to prison after assaulting ER nurse and responding police officer

Dale Morin, Susan Lunneborg, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·2 min read
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Oct. 18—MONTEVIDEO

— A Montevideo man was sentenced to 15 months in prison after he punched an ER nurse and the police officer who responded to the assault report.

Reginald Wayne Guardipee, 44, was sentenced Sept. 21 in Chippewa County District Court on one felony count of fourth-degree assault in the July incident.

Judge Thomas Van Hon made the sentence concurrent with an amended sentence handed down the same day in a separate fourth-degree assault case for spitting on an officer in June of 2020.

In the 2020 case, Guardipee was originally given a stayed sentence. The stay was revoked for a probation violation, and Judge Van Hon ordered an amended sentence of 15 months in prison with credit for 185 days served. Guardipee received credit for 57 days served in the current case.

According to Minnesota state law, offenders have to serve two-thirds of their sentence in custody before they are eligible for supervised release.

According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections website, Guardipee's expected release date from the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud is May 30, 2023.

Guardipee pleaded guilty Aug. 29 in the hospital assault. In exchange for his plea, a second count of gross misdemeanor assault was dismissed.

According to the criminal complaint, Chippewa County sheriff's deputies had transported Guardipee to the emergency room at CCM Health Hospital in Montevideo during the night of July 26 because he was "extremely intoxicated."

An officer was later dispatched there to help escort Guardipee out of the hospital after he "cold cocked" a nurse and was no longer allowed to stay, according to the complaint.

The officer stayed with Guardipee, who was then sitting in a chair, while they waited for a portable breath alcohol tester to arrive.

Guardipee wanted to leave to have a cigarette and pushed the officer when refused permission, according to the complaint.

The officer sat Guardipee back down in his chair but momentarily lost control.

According to the complaint, Guardipee struck the officer on the chin with a closed fist before attempting several more swings.

The officer eventually regained control and handcuffed Guardipee, who was arrested after the PBT arrived and showed a reading of zero.