A Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer for the Spirit Lake Nation pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of aggravated assault.
Duane Gunville, 41, is accused of stabbing his wife in the chest with a kitchen knife on Aug. 7 during an argument at their Devils Lake home.
Gunville's wife received several stitches at Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake and was released the same day, authorities said.
After the domestic dispute, Gunville fled from Devils Lake to the Belcourt, N.D., area, where he was arrested after a standoff, authorities reported.
He was placed on unpaid administrative leave right after the incident, said Assistant Special Agent Mario Red Legs with the BIA.
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Gunville, who is no longer in custody, is slated for a pretrial conference Jan. 27.
Aggravated assault carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
