U of M professor pleads guilty to domestic abuse

A University of Minnesota professor pleaded guilty to domestic assault by strangulation, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Thursday.

Aaron Doering, 47, entered the guilty plea Thursday afternoon. He also pleaded guilty to a Minneapolis City Attorney misdemeanor charge of violating a domestic abuse no contact order. He will be sentenced on June 19.

As part of the agreement, Doering will be sentenced to a gross misdemeanor of 365 days in the workhouse stayed for two years. He will serve 180 days in the workhouse. However, if he successfully serves that two year probation, he will not have to serve the remaining 185 days. Among the conditions of the probation are he must complete treatment for alcohol addiction and for mental health.

According to the criminal complaint and Doering’s admissions in court, on Dec. 26, police were called to the apartment he shared with his girlfriend in the 1700 block of Madison St. NE.

Doering admitted in court that they had been drinking heavily all night and were arguing over whether he was cheating on her with another woman. His girlfriend called the police and told them that Doering grabbed her by the hair, dragged her around the apartment, slapped and hit her. She said Doering strangled her until she was unable to breathe and thought she was losing consciousness.

In his guilty plea, Doering said he does not remember the details of the night because he was intoxicated. However, Doering acknowledged his girlfriend's account as true and said he would be found guilty if it went to trial.