A prominent professor at the University of Minnesota and arctic explorer violently attacked her boyfriend during a nightly discussion, leaving her fear for her life, according to criminal charges filed Thursday.
Aaron H. Doering, 47, a senior professor of environmental studies, was charged in the Hennepin County District Court with two felonies of domestic assault by strangulation . He remains imprisoned in lieu of a $ 40,000 bail
ac According to the criminal complaint, the officers responded to a domestic assault reported in progress on Wednesday night in an apartment that the couple shares in block 1700 of Madison Street NE. in Minneapolis
When the police approached the door, they heard a man and a woman arguing inside. Upon entering, officers separated Doering and his fiancé, who had red marks on his forehead and finger-shaped bruises on the side of his neck
The woman told the authorities that during the course of an argument, Doering had grabbed her by the hair and dragged her through the apartment. Later, he hit her and strangled her until she could not breathe and felt as if she were losing consciousness, court records show.
She alleged that it was not the first time that Doering had physically assaulted her and had provided photographs documenting past injuries. "The victim believes that [Doering] will kill her if she returns to the apartment," according to the criminal complaint.
A spokeswoman for the university said Thursday night that Doering's working status with the school has not changed. "We are aware of the situation and we will be reviewing the matter," said Lacey Nygard, assistant director of public relations.
Doering, of Minneapolis, is a national speaker on climate change and a Canadian Arctic explorer whose projects have taken him from Siberia, Nepal and Burkina Faso to the far reaches of the north of Norway.
His expeditions took him to the forefront of adventure learning, through which he works to connect K-12 and adult students to remote locations. As director of the Laboratory of Media and Learning Technologies at U, Doering uses drones technology to give students a vision of sustainability, culture and environment issues.
He is also a member of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society that is regularly interviewed by CNN, Weather Channel and other media.
Doering will make a first appearance in court related to the case on Friday.
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