Some Charges Dropped in ND Standoff Case

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped charges against the wife and daughter of a northeastern North Dakota farmer charged with terrorizing law enforcement officials two years ago.

Fifty-seven-year-old Rodney Brossart, of rural Lakota, still is scheduled to stand trial, as are his three sons, Jacob, Thomas and Alex. They're also charged with terrorizing.

The Grand Forks Herald reports that daughter Abby Brossart had been charged with assault for allegedly hitting a deputy during her father's arrest. Wife Susan Brossart had been accused of lying to investigators about guns on the farm. Dismissal orders were filed this week.

The summer-long standoff between the Brossarts and law officers in 2011 began as an investigation into missing cattle and intensified when family members ignored repeated orders to appear in court.