>>3-Year-Old Fatally Shot in Northeast Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — Police are investigating after a three-year-old child was fatally shot this afternoon in northeast Minneapolis. Police responded to a 911 call from an adult watching the boy around 12:45 p.m. The child was brought to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No arrests have been made.
>>Bemidji Police Remind Minnesotans of Teens Still Missing
(Bemidji, MN) — Bemidji (buh-MID-gee) Police are reminding Minnesotans of two missing teens who have yet to be found. Jeremy Jourdain was last seen in Bemidji on October 31st, 2016, wearing a blue and gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white Air Jordan shoes. Neveah Kingbird was last seen in Bemidji on October 22nd, 2021, either wearing a black zip-up hoodie or a red sweatshirt with a “Bull” logo on the back, blue skinny jeans, a white undershirt, and black and red Nike sandals when she disappeared. Police ask Bemidji residents to check their land, abandoned vehicles, and outbuildings for the Jourdain and Kingbird and for hunters to search cabins, land, and deer stands. In both cases, Bemidji Police have followed hundreds of leads, searched by air, land, and water using all tools available, and worked with multiple different agencies, including the MN BCA, to no avail.
>>Minneapolis Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Role in 2021 Rochester Murder
(Rochester, MN) — A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the 2021 murder of 28-year-old Todd Banks Jr. in Rochester. On June 6th (2021), police responded to the incident, finding Banks dead and another man critically injured after a fight over a dice game escalated to gunfire. 25-year-old Nautica Cox was seen firing a handgun at a gathering of people near the game, which was outside a former downtown bar. Cox pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, assault, and illegal possession of a firearm in September. 29-year-old Derrick Days of South St. Paul, Cox’s co-defendant and the man who fatally shot Banks, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and assault and was sentenced to over 35 years in prison last year.
>>Winthrop Man Found Not Guilty of 1st-Degree Murder, Guilty of 2nd-Degree Murder in 2022
(Gaylord, MN) — A Winthrop man was found not guilty of first-degree murder but guilty of second-degree murder in Sibley County Friday. 79-year-old Dennis Weitzenkamp was found with a fatal gunshot to the back of the head in September 2022. The criminal complaint says 48-year-old Travis Bauer was known to work on Weitzenkamp’s farm for years and would benefit financially from his death. Investigators confirmed gunshot residue on Bauer’s clothing, and he lied to police about his whereabouts. A pre-sentence investigation has been ordered, and a sentencing date, around 60 days out, has yet to be set.
>>Man Enters Plea Deal for Fatal July Hit-and-Run
(Minneapolis, MN) — A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a fatal hit-and-run in July. Quintin Hudson agreed to a plea deal with a sentence of 13.75 years in prison for one count each of fleeing a police officer resulting in death and resulting in great bodily harm. Court documents say on July 9th, Hudson was speeding at nearly 100 mph through Robbinsdale when he hit another vehicle. Emily Gerding was killed in the crash, and her husband John was badly injured. Hudson did not have a valid driver’s license. He will be formally sentenced on December 12th.
>>Teen Arrested for Attempting to Flee Rochester Hit-and-Run
(Rochester, MN) — A 15-year-old faces multiple charges after trying to flee from a hit-and-run in Rochester Sunday. Police responded to a two-vehicle crash around 10 p.m. Officials say the suspect, who was one of the drivers, tried to flee from the crash before witnesses stopped him. The car the teen was driving had been reported stolen that night. Police reported minor injuries sustained.
>>St. Cloud Man Pleads Guilty to Assault Against Officers Using a Deadly Weapon
(St. Cloud, MN) — A St. Cloud man has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree assault against a peace officer using deadly force for a 2022 incident. Police served a search warrant on a St. Cloud apartment on May 24th (2022) as part of a drug investigation. 39-year-old Shawn Jacobs told police he had a gun and would shoot investigators. As the apartment building was evacuated, Jacobs fired a shot from inside his apartment, nearly hitting officers standing in the outside hallway. Jacobs surrendered and was arrested after five hours of negotiation. His apartment turned up a .45 caliber handgun, an assault rifle, ammunition, a bulletproof best, and methamphetamine. Jacobs will be sentenced on January 22nd, 2025.
>>WalletHub: MN Ranked 8th Safest State in U.S. for 2024
(Undated) — Minnesota ranks as America’s 8th safest state in 2024—a new report by personal-finance website WalletHub. The study compared 50 states using 52 key metrics, ranging from assaults per capita to the unemployment rate. Minnesota took 3rd in fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel, 5th in share of uninsured population and fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, and 14th in murder and non-negligent manslaughters per capita. Iowa ranked 13th, Wisconsin 19th, and North and South Dakota as 27 and 29, respectively.
