The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is handling the investigation into an officer involved shooting in western Becker County last night. Sheriff Todd Glander says it began with a pursuit around 7:30 involving deputies. The suspect’s vehicle was disabled by tire spikes on Highway 10 just west of Audubon, (7 miles west of Detroit Lakes). The vehicle’s driver got out carrying a long-gun and shots were fired. The suspect was transported to a Fargo hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. No officers were injured. The man’s identity has not yet been confirmed and his condition is not available. Further details about the shooting have not been released. The state patrol, Detroit Lakes and Lake Park police assisted in the incident.
A former Bemidji Middle School assistant principal has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography. 35-year-old Brandon Bjerknes is accused of creating fake Facebook and Snapchat accounts to seek sex from more than 50 minors. Bjerknes faces three years in prison.
The Minnesota Supreme Court is demanding answers in the budget clash between the governor and Legislature. In a court order late yesterday afternoon, the court demanded the two parties tell justices about all accounts the Legislature could access if the high court upholds Governor Dayton’s veto of legislative budgets. The two sides disagree on how much money the House and Senate can access, with the governor believing lawmakers have access to much more money than they have previously revealed.
Minnesota is on track for one of the deadliest boating years in more than a decade. The Department of Natural Resources reports that there have been 17 deadly boating accidents in 2017. Alcohol is the leading known contributing factor in recreational boating deaths, accounting for more than 50-percent of deadly accidents this year.
A man from Grove City will *not* do prison time for disposing of marijuana he found at a house near Mannannah in Meeker County where his teenaged son killed his sister and then himself in February 2016. 53-year-old Thomas Cunningham pleaded guilty to drug charges and possessing a gun with the serial number removed. A judge sentenced Cunningham to five years probation, but if he violates any conditions he could serve jail time.
Five tornadoes ripped across west-central Minnesota last week. The National Weather Service in Chanhassen confirmed Thursday the tornadoes damaged several farm sites and small town businesses. The tornadoes also uprooted trees with winds of up to 100-miles-an-hour. The storms hit Chippewa, Swift, Stearns, and Kandiyohi counties, as well as rural Murdock and Sunburg. There were no injuries from any of the storms.
A Maplewood woman linked to the overdose deaths of five men was sentenced to 14 years in prison yesterday. Beverly Burrell was convicted earlier this year of selling the deadly doses of heroin to Max Tillitt in 2015 and Luke Ronnei in 2016. The three other cases against Burrell are expected to be heard over the next several months.
St. Paul Police are investigating an early morning fatal shooting. The incident occurred in a parking lot of a strip mall on Larpenteur Avenue around 2 a.m. When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Several people who were in the area at the time have been taken to police headquarters for questioning, but no one has been arrested. Anyone with information can call St. Paul Police.
Washington County has launched a new campaign to help hotel workers detect sex trafficking. The campaign called “Speak Up. They Can’t” was unveiled Thursday as a way to help hospitality workers counter illegal trafficking behavior and become a voice for victims. In the past 18 months, prosecutors have brought more than two dozen cases of sex trafficking in the county.