Man pleads not guilty in ND meth lab blast

DICKINSON, N.D. (AP) — A man injured in what authorities say was a methamphetamine lab explosion in Dickinson has pleaded not guilty.

Forty-year-old Shane Cook faces a felony reckless endangerment charge in the blast in his apartment on Feb. 11.

The Dickinson Press reports that Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Tara Haugen testified at a hearing this week that the explosion blew out a living room window and some ceiling tiles and left burn marks in a bathroom. She said the apartment had to be evacuated and Cook required medical attention.

Cook also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault for punching another inmate. The plea deal calls for a sentence of about four months in jail. Prosecutors dismissed a felony assault charge.

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