Ramsey County authorities have dropped all firearms charges against the Vadnais Heights father of a boy accused of threatening violence against fellow students.

The development was welcome but not surprising, according to the man’s attorney, who called the charges a case of “government overreach.”

Christopher Stowe and his wife, Lisa Stowe, were charged last March after authorities executed a search warrant at their Vadnais Heights home following an incident at their 13-year-old son’s school.

The boy allegedly threatened violence toward his classmates and a concerned parent reported it.

During the search, law enforcement found what they said were illegal guns as well as several other firearms that were discovered “loaded and located out in the open,” legal documents say.

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office subsequently charged Christopher Stowe with two felony-level counts of prohibited possession of a machine gun and short-barreled shotgun and a third count of negligent storage of firearms, which is a gross misdemeanor.

Prosecutors dropped one of the counts against Christopher Stowe in May after determining the firearm believed to be a short-barreled shotgun was actually a rifle.

RELATED: Gun charge dropped against Vadnais Heights dad in son’s school threat case

It cited findings by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension regarding the second firearm as its grounds for dismissing the other felony count, according to legal documents filed Wednesday.

Laboratory analysis by the agency determined the additional seized firearm was actually a semi-automatic weapon, rather than fully automatic, the document stated.

The remaining count facing Christopher Stowe was dismissed because it’s a gross misdemeanor and the state prosecutes felony-level cases.

“After further investigation requested by the prosecution, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office determined that the evidence did not support any felony level charges against Christopher Stowe. This case will be returned to the investigating agency, and they may refer this case to the city attorney for consideration of misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor level charges,” said Dennis Gerhardstein, spokesman for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, in a statement Thursday.

‘THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE EVIDENCE’

Christopher Stowe’s attorney, Bruce Rivers, criticized authorities handling of the case, saying the search of the couple’s home was unlawful and that the county attorney’s office rushed to bad judgment.

“They didn’t have the evidence to charge, let alone convict, but they filed a complaint anyway,” Rivers said. “Now they are caught with their tail between their legs.”

The news brought relief to his client, Rivers added, but it can’t undo the damage.

“He feels better now that the truth came out but sometimes when you break somebody’s leg and then it heals, sure you can walk, but you still feel that pain,” Rivers said.

CASE DREW CRITICISM

The Ramsey County sheriff’s office searched the family’s Vadnais Heights home in March after a concerned parent reported that the Stowes’ 13-year-old son had threatened to kill a classmate at the Academy for Sciences & Agriculture. Related Articles Maplewood Area Historical Society will host open house

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The boy was subsequently charged with one felony count of threats of violence and both of his parents were taken into custody. In addition to the charges filed against Christopher Stowe, his wife, Lisa Stowe, was charged by the Vadnais Heights City Attorney’s Office with negligent storage of a firearm.

Ramsey County Sheriff Jack Serier held a news conference after the incident and noted his department’s actions as helping to avert “a potential tragedy.”

The handling of the case drew swift criticism from Vadnais Heights Mayor Bob Fletcher and the couple’s attorneys. Fletcher, who is running for sheriff in the upcoming election, suggested politics were in play.

RELATED: Vadnais Heights mayor, family question handling of school threat case

Both Rivers and Lisa Stowe’s attorney, Samuel Surface, said the same Thursday.

“It’s an election year,” Surface said. “Maybe somebody thought this was the sort of story that would help them keep their job.”

Steve Frazer, chief deputy for the sheriff’s office, called that suggestion baseless and said his office continues to stand by its response to the incident.

“We do believe a tragedy was potentially averted,” Frazer said. “There was a valid threat made and the person who made it had unfettered access to dozens of weapons.”

He added that while state charges have been deemed inappropriate, Christopher Stowe could still face federal charges or charges at the city level.

He said federal regulations regarding short-barreled shotguns are different than Minnesota’s restrictions. The Vadnais Heights City attorney’s office also could file a gross misdemeanor against Christopher Stowe for negligent storage of firearms as it did against his wife.

“Whatever is appropriate in the end charge-wise will happen,” Frazer said. “You don’t ever want to see anybody in trouble but the reality is the way this family stored and maintained their weapons (was) completely reckless and not responsible gun ownership at all.”

STUDENT KILL LIST PROMPTED CASE, AUTHORITIES SAID

Ramsey County sheriff deputies went to the family’s home on the 4200 block of DeSoto Street last March after receiving a report that the young teen had told another student at school he planned to kill him and that he had a list with names of other students he also intended to kill, the complaint said.

When deputies questioned the juvenile about his comments, the teen said he hadn’t meant them and that he would never do something like that again, authorities say. His family has said the boy is autistic.

Deputies also spoke to the child’s mother, who said at the time that the teen didn’t have access to firearms and that there were none inside their house, according to the complaint.

Investigators found out otherwise when they executed a search warrant at the residence.

Several of the firearms were loaded and left out in the open, authorities said at the time.

Some of the weapons found in a Vadnais Heights home after a student's threat Thursday, March 1, 2018, led to a search. (Courtesy of the Ramsey County sheriff's office)

One of the guns found at the Vadnais Heights home of a boy who allegedly threatened a fellow student. (Courtesy of the Ramsey County sheriff's office)

Several pistols that were found in the home of a Vadnais Heights boy who allegedly threatened a fellow student. (Courtesy of the Ramsey County sheriff's office)



They also said two of the weapons found met the definition for machine guns and a short-barreled shotgun, both of which are illegal in Minnesota.

Rivers said Thursday that the gun mistaken for the short-barreled shotgun was a pistol and that testing should have been conducted on the other firearm before charges were filed.

He added that the affidavit used to apply for the search warrant in the case lacked facts and should never have been granted in the first place.

He’ll argue that angle if further charges are filed against his client, Rivers said.

Vadnais Heights City Attorney, Mark Gaughan, said his office has not yet received the case from the sheriff’s office to consider charges against Christopher Stowe, but that he expects it will in the near future.

The case against Lisa Stowe is still proceeding, he added.

FAMILY TRYING TO MOVE

In the meantime, Rivers said the Stowes are trying to put this “horrible” experience behind them.

“The child was ripped out of the home, there was no reason to do that,” Rivers said. “The media attention that was created by this candidate for sheriff created a hysteria that really impacted (the family’s) safety and security.

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Driver who killed Ramsey County deputy’s wife sentenced for another DWI He went on to say that after months of separation — the boy stayed with his grandparents — the family has been reunited.

The boy’s case has also been resolved and nothing will go on his record, Rivers said.

He declined to comment further because of the boy’s age.