Charges: Agitated Blue Earth County inmate destroyed scanner worth $14K
A Mankato man is facing felony charges after he allegedly destroyed a fingerprint scanner at the jail.
Steven Paul Pfeffer, 38, was charged with 1st-degree damage to property in Blue Earth County Court Monday.
A criminal complaint says Pfeffer was in the booking area when he became upset about a court hearing. Closed caption TV revealed Pfeffer “getting increasingly agitated and pacing,” before knocking over a Livescan CrossMatch 100 fingerprint scanner, according to the charging document.
Pfeffer allegedly kicked the scanner after knocking it to the ground, scattering pieces across the floor. At one point, he became entangled in the scanner’s cords on the floor, according to the complaint.
Police say the Livescan instrument includes a computer monitor, keyboard, mouse bundle, and instrument cabinet. The fingerprint scanner, which costs an estimated $14,820, will need replacement, according to the complaint.
