A Bismarck man has pleaded not guilty to abuse or neglect of a child and preventing arrest or discharge of other duties.

Dr. Radomysl Twardowski, 47, originally was charged Jan. 23 with the two Class C felonies as well as one count of Class C felony terrorizing.

South Central District Judge Bruce Romanick, who presided over a preliminary hearing in the case on Wednesday morning, found that there was not probable cause that terrorizing occurred, so that charge was dropped.

Twardowski, who represented himself at the hearing, was charged after his 15-year-old son told police that his father had hit him at least 20 times in the arm and threatened to kill him and his mother.

Bismarck Police Officer Glen Ternes testified the boy had red marks between his left shoulder and elbow that resembled fist marks. The boy said his arm was swollen and sore, he said.

A police youthworker had called Twardowski, and he told her he had hit his son after his son hit him in the stomach, Ternes said. However, the boy denied hitting his father, he said.

The boy said his mother, Malgorzata Twardowski, heard the commotion and went to the boy's room and stepped between the boy and Twardowski, Ternes said.

He said the son, identified as A.T., later heard his parents arguing. Ternes said the boy heard his father mention having three coffins ready, and if things didn't change there would be a "bloodbath."

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Pamela Nesvig asked if the boy thought his father was threatening to kill him, his mother and another juvenile son.

"I think that is what … he interpreted by the three coffins,"Ternes said.

Nesvig said after the hearing that she did not believe any search warrants had been executed to find out if there were coffins in the home, and she did not know if such coffins exist.

Ternes said he and two other officers went to the Twardowski home on the 2900 block of Carriage Circle to speak to Twardowski.

"The defendant told me he was disciplining his son after his son punched him in the stomach," Ternes said.

He said Twardowski became angry and would not obey commands from the officers to put his arms behind his back when they determined that they should arrest him for abuse or neglect of a child. The officers took him to the ground and had to use an electronic restraining device to get Twardowski into handcuffs, Ternes said.

He said he also spoke to Malgorzata Twardowski.

"She basically told me a lot of the things A.T. told me,"Ternes said. "She confirmed the part about the coffins."

She also said her husband had mentioned that he would "kill all three of them and put them in coffins," Ternes said.

Twardowski asked one question of Ternes, who was the only witness called to testify at the hearing.

"Did they really say I made a physical contact with A.T. first?" Twardowski asked the officer. Ternes said that was what he had been told.

Romanick found probable cause for the abuse or neglect of a child and preventing arrest or discharge of other duties charges had occurred, so he scheduled a hearing for those charges for April 16 before South Central District Judge David Reich.

The judge said he did not find probable cause that terrorizing had occurred, because he did not believe Twardowski made specific threats about killing his family.

Twardowski is free after posting a $7,500 cash or surety bond.

According to the North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners' Web site, Twardowski has had an active license to practice medicine in North Dakota since 1994. The Web site says Twardowski has no history of disciplinary or licensure action.

By state law, the board can take disciplinary action, which could include revocation or suspension of a medical license or probation, against someone who is convicted of a felony.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)