Local schools lift lockdown after video concerns

 
Dodge County’s three school districts have now lifted the lockdowns they implemented after what was called “concerning behavior of a community member.”
The lockdowns started about 9:20 a.m. at Byron High School, where a video was recorded by Daniel James Lewison, 55.
He is listed as a person of interest by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office; as of 12:30 p.m. Thursday, he was not in custody.
“There was no direct threat to the school,” Byron Superintendent Nate Walbruch said in a statement Thursday morning, nor were there threats to any of the other schools that locked down “out of an abundance of caution.”
Kasson-Mantorville Schools locked down about 9:40 a.m.; Hayfield and Triton Public Schools both initiated a lockdown about 10 a.m. on the advice of law enforcement.
At noon, KM Superintendent Beth Giese informed parents the lockdown was lifted.
All students and staff were safe, she said, and “extra officers will continue to remain in the area for the day and during school dismissal.”
Giese thanked the Kasson Police Department and “the multiple outside agencies that responded quickly…”
Lewison has a criminal history dating back more than 30 years in Dodge, Mower and Olmsted counties – all of which were named in the video he posted to Facebook.
In addition to nine convictions for DWI, Lewison has felony convictions for first-degree burglary and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, and a 2022 conviction for fourth-degree assault of a peace officer.
He has filed civil lawsuits against the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Steele County Sheriff’s Office and Steele County Detention Center. Both cases were dismissed after being ruled “frivolous action” by the court.
In the video, Lewison can be seen on the front lawn of BHS, with a close-up of the bear statue.

“I’m coming for you,” he says by way of introduction, then names several current and former Dodge County law enforcement officers, a retired Dodge County judge and a former Dodge County attorney.
“You’ll get your just rewards in heaven … or in hell,” Lewison says, “and for 98% of you sons of bitches, you’re crooked. See that bear? He’s coming for you, Dodge County, no holds barred when it comes to your court of law.”