A Hastings man, in court on a theft charge, was so desperate to avoid taking a urine test Wednesday that he bolted from a deputy and jumped off a second-floor balcony, landing on his face inside the Dakota County Courthouse.

The man, 22, was in court for an arraignment, in which he pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor theft. The judge, David Knutson, ordered him to undergo a urinalysis test for drug or alcohol use, said Chief Deputy Sheriff Tim Leslie.

Deputies escorted him upstairs to the location where the testing is done. At first, the man offered "passive resistance" to the test, but then got up, ran away and jumped off a balcony. He landed on the first floor in a children's play area, Leslie said. The area was empty and nobody else was injured, he said.

He was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with a broken arm, bruises and a possible fractured bone in his face, Leslie said.

The Dakota County Sheriff's Office is investigating to determine whether charges will be filed in the incident.

PAT PHEIFER