Warrant Issued for Burnsville Man Accused of Child Neglect, Endangerment

A nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for a Burnsville man charged with child neglect and endangerment.

Michael Charles Holie, 33, faces two gross misdemeanor charges: neglect of a child and endangerment of a child, each of which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine. He is also charged with reckless use of a firearm, a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, Burnsville police were called to Holie’s home on Sept. 25, 2011, after neighbors reported the sound of gunshots from the house. Holie was arrested and taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Two men who were in the house at the time of the incident told police that they had all been on the backyard patio when Holie picked up a pistol, held it to his throat and said he was going to kill himself. The two struggled with Holie to get the gun away from him, and the weapon discharged during the struggle, according to the complaint.

One of the men hid the gun while the other man continued to try to restrain Holie. The fight moved inside, where Holie’s three children, ages 2, 5, and 7, witnessed part of the altercation.

The 5-year-old was knocked over and fell, bumping his head, and all three children were crying before they were taken to a neighbor’s house. Although all three children were upstairs when the gun discharged, the 7-year-old told police that she saw her father holding the gun to his neck.

At the hospital, Holie told police that he was hospitalized on Sept. 4 for a “suicide plan,” and he got angry on Sept. 25 when the two men at his house told him he hadn’t been serious about planning to kill himself, according to the complaint.

Holie told police that he left the patio, got some ammunition from the garage, loaded a handgun in the living room and returned to the patio, where he held the gun to his neck. He admitted that he had been drinking and acknowledged to officers that he put his children and others at risk by pointing a loaded gun at himself.

Holie’s whereabouts are unknown. Anyone with information is asked to contact local police or leave an anonymous tip with the Dakota County Sheriff's Office.