Crime

Former Superior Gymnastics Coach Pleads Not Guilty to Sexual Assault Charges

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The former Superior gymnastics coach accused of sexually assaulting four minors, three of which he previously coached, has pleaded not guilty in Douglas County court by video on Friday morning. George Deppa, 47, has been charged with three counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of exposing genitals to a child. According to…

UPDATE: Investigators Determine Man Accidentally Shot Self, Duluth Police Say

Efforts are underway to recover the firearm. There is no danger to the public.

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Police have determined it was an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound that sent a man to the hospital Thursday evening. According to a post on the Department Facebook page at 10:50 p.m., investigators determined that the 35-year-old male victim was traveling in a vehicle when the discharge of the firearm occurred. They learned the gunshot wound was accidentally…

Son Charged With Death of His Father; Mother Still Missing

MADISON, Wis. – The son of a Wisconsin couple who went missing last week has been formally accused of killing his father and dismembering his body. Twenty-three-year-old Chandler Halderson, who was living with his parents in Windsor, is charged in Dane County Court with first-degree intentional homicide, hiding and mutilating a corpse, and providing false information on a kidnapping. Court…

Duluth Man Pleads Guilty to COVID Fraud

DULUTH, Minn. – The United States Attorney’s Office says a Duluth man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to “mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in connection to a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme.” According to reports, between the months of April and August, 2020 34-year-old Jared John Fiege admitted to stealing the names, birth dates, and social security numbers of…

Man Charged For Shooting At Stabbing Suspect In Babbitt

BABBITT, Minn. — A Babbitt man has been charged with three felonies after he was accused of shooting at a stabbing suspect last Saturday. 38-year-old Joel Earl Vandervest had a court appearance on Tuesday morning for second-degree assault, intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety, and reckless discharge of a firearm. According to the criminal complaint, he shot at…

Suspect Charged, New Details Revealed In Superior Drive-By Shooting

Surveillance images of Raeqwon Hawkins released by Superior Police Department before the arrest. SUPERIOR, Wis. – We’re learning more about what all went down involving a June drive-by shooting in downtown Superior. Raeqwon Jay Hawkins Raeqwon Jay Hawkins, 24, of Superior is now charged as being the shooter in the drive-by. The crime happened around 10:40 p.m. June 17 in…

Police Respond to Apparent Shooting at Wisconsin Gas Station

UPDATE: FRANKSVILLE, Wis. (AP) – Authorities in Wisconsin say a man shot and killed another man at a gas station before fleeing and eventually dying in a shootout with an undercover investigator. Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling says the events unfolded starting about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pilot Travel Center in the village of Caledonia. Schmaling says a 32-year-old…

Minnesota TSA Employee Facing Charges After Taking Photos of Female Travelers

(FOX 9) – A Transportation Security Administration employee at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is facing charges after taking photos of female travelers. Court documents allege the 37-year-old had 42 photos of female travelers on his personal phone. The employee allegedly snapping the photos off the airport’s closed-circuit camera system over the course of a year. Charging documents say the photos…

Employee Stabbed ‘Multiple Times’ In Babbitt, 2 Arrested

"The victim and the suspect were acquainted," according to Police Chief Mike McGregor.

BABBITT, Minn. – Police in Babbitt have arrested two men after a woman was stabbed multiple times Saturday evening inside a local business. Police Chief Mike McGregor says the call for help came in around 7:45 p.m. Saturday. While officers were responding to the scene, a shooting was reported in the same area.  McGregor said nobody was shot and both…

Cloquet Police: Armed Suspect Threatens Residents of Home, Shoots Himself Following Standoff with Officers

No officers on scene were injured, nor did they discharge their firearms. 

CLOQUET, Minn.- After an hours long standoff with police Saturday, an man who entered a home and threatened residents with a gun in Cloquet shot himself, according to the Cloquet Police Department. Officers responded to a home on Ridge Road in Cloquet around 10:19 a.m. Saturday, on a report of a 20-year-old man armed with a gun who entered the…

Duluth Police Arrest Suspect in Superior Drive-By Shooting

The arrest happened in Duluth during traffic stop at 2 p.m. Superior Police say that same car fled a traffic stop with their officers and detectives earlier in the afternoon.

DULUTH, Minn.- A suspect in a June drive-by shooting incident in Superior was arrested by Duluth Police Officers Friday. The arrest happened in Duluth during traffic stop at 2 p.m. Superior Police say that same car fled a traffic stop with their officers and detectives earlier in the afternoon. Officers stopped the car to serve a search warrant related to…

St. Louis, Carlton County 911 Lines Down Due to Power Outage

St. Louis County 911 can be reached at 218-625-3581, and Carlton County at 218-451-6843.

UPDATE: The 911 system for St Louis County is now operational and functioning properly. Most phones lines in Carlton County are now working. The cities of Kettle river and Wright are working on a limited capacity and will still need to use an alternate number of 218-384-4185 or 218-451-6843 if they can not get through to 911 with cell or…

Hibbing Man Arrested, Charged for Physically Assaulting 1 Month Old Baby

HIBBING, Minn. – Hibbing Police say they have arrested and formally charged a 21-year-old Hibbing man for physically assaulting his 1-month-old baby. According to police, officers responded to the 2600 block of 3rd Avenue East in Hibbing on reports of an assault around 4:40 p.m. Monday. When officers arrived at the scene they spoke with a 20-year-old female who told…

Superior Police Searching for Drive-By Shooting Suspect

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior police say they are looking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect possibly involved in a drive-by shooting from a month ago. According to the Superior Police Department, officers responded to reports of a gunshot in the area of Belknap Street and Ogden Avenue around 10:39 p.m. Thursday, June 17. Investigators learned that a suspect…

Superior Police, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Use Old Motel For SWAT Training

The Superior Fire Department will conduct fire training at the Manning Wednesday.

SUPERIOR, Wis.-The old Manning Motel in Superior’s Billings Park neighborhood turned into an explosive training ground for Superior and Douglas County SWAT teams. A loud boom shook the property, as Superior PD and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office tactical teams practiced an explosive breach of one of the doors at the motel.  The site was purchased by Kari Toyota to be…

Gary-New Duluth Stabbing Suspect Charged

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police say the suspect in Thursday afternoon’s Gary-New Duluth stabbing has been formally charged. Police say a 37-year-old male was stabbed outside of Reed’s Pine Board Lodging on the 100 block of West Gary Street around 2:18 p.m. According to the criminal complaint, the victim was a tenant of the building and got into a physical…

Suspect in Two Cloquet Shootings Located, Arrested

CLOQUET, Minn. – The Cloquet Police Department says a suspect believed to be involved in two separate shootings in Cloquet on May 17 has been arrested. According to police, 26-year-old Nicholas Joseph Ammesmaki was taken into custody on Thursday on an unrelated charge and is now being held at the Northwest Regional Corrections Center in Crookston. Authorities say in May,…

Motion Seeks Evidence of Past Violence at Rittenhouse Trial

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool) KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) – Prosecutors in Wisconsin want a judge to allow evidence at Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial that shows he had a previous violent encounter in Kenosha before he fatally shot two men and injured another during a police brutality protest last year. The state’s motion filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court also seeks to…

Authorities: Man Stabbed in Gary New Duluth, Suspect Arrested

UPDATE: DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police say a suspect was arrested around 4:32 p.m. in connection to the Gary-New Duluth stabbing. The investigation remains ongoing. DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police say they are investigating a stabbing in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood. The stabbing happened Thursday around 2:18 p.m. outside of Reed’s Pine Board Lodging on the 100 block of West…

Judge Orders Release of Wisconsin Woman in Slender Man Case

(left: Anissa Weier, right: Morgan Geyser) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin judge says a woman convicted of stabbing her classmate to please the Slender Man character in 2014 can be released from a mental health facility. Nineteen-year-old Anissa Weier asked Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren to release her from the Winnebago Mental Health Institute, arguing she was no longer…

Court OKs 3rd-Degree Murder Against 3-Ex Cops in Floyd Death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Court of Appeals says prosecutors may file aiding and abetting third-degree murder charges against three former Minneapolis police officers in the death of George Floyd. The appeals court on Wednesday sent the case back to Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill. He denied prosecutors’ motion to add the charges against former officers J Kueng, Thomas…

Duluth Police Asking for Public’s Help Locating Burglary Suspect

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department is asking for the public’s help locating a male responsible for a Wednesday morning apartment burglary. According to police, officers responded to the 1100 block of GLen Place Drive just after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday on reports of a burglary. The resident told police that when they arrived home they found that a male…

UPDATE: Man Arrested for Manslaughter in Virginia Released From Custody

VIRGINIA, Minn. – The Virginia Police Department announced Wednesday that the 31-year-old male arrested Saturday on preliminary charges of manslaughter has been released. According to a recent press release, the police department was advised by the Saint Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office of the release pending further investigation. Authorities responded to reports of an altercation and an unresponsive man around…

Bill Cosby’s Sex Assault Conviction Overturned by Court

(Montgomery County Correctional Facility via AP) PHILADELPHIA (AP/Fox 9) – Pennsylvania’s highest court has overturned comedian Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction. The court said Wednesday that they found an agreement with a previous prosecutor that prevented him from being charged in the case. The 83-year-old Cosby has served more than two years at a state prison near Philadelphia. He has…

One Injured in Early Morning Hwy 61 Crash

Speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors in the crash.

DULUTH, Minn. — Just after 6 a.m. Wednesday morning the Duluth police department responded to a crash on Highway 61 near Congdon boulevard. The 31-year-old driver from Shakopee was driving southbound at a high rate of speed when the vehicle collided with railroad lights and a guardrail. The driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is being treated at a local hospital….

Charges: Woodbury Man Stabbed Wife to Death While Children Were Upstairs Watching TV

WOODBURY, Minn. (FOX 9) – A Woodbury, Minnesota man is charged with murder for allegedly stabbing his wife to death in the basement of their home last Friday while their children were upstairs watching TV. He was arrested the following day on a Greyhound bus in Wisconsin wearing blood-splattered clothes. McKinley Phillips, 39, was charged Monday with one count of…

Duluth Police Stress Safe, Sober Driving Ahead Of Summer Events

Last month there were 30 recorded DWI incidents in Duluth compared to 17 last May during the pandemic.

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Police are urging people to be smart before getting behind the wheel this summer after a drunken driver went airborne in downtown Duluth over the weekend. Just before 3 a.m. Saturday a car speeding in the Pickwick parking lot hit a grassy area and went into the air before crashing into a light pole along the sidewalk….

Minnesota Lawmakers Reach Deal On Policing Measures

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s top Democratic and Republican lawmakers have reached agreement on the highlights of a public safety bill after a contentious debate over police accountability. The deal was reached a day after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison the death of George Floyd. Some details have yet to…

Duluth Police Arrest Man for DUI After High Speed Crash Near Fitger’s Complex

The vehicle went airborne between the Pickwick and Fitger's complex. No one was injured.

DULUTH, Minn- A 20-year-old male has been arrested for Driving Under the Influence following an early morning crash Saturday. According to a spokesperson with the Duluth Police Department, just before 3:00 a.m. this morning, a Duluth Police officer was on patrol near the 600 block of East Superior Street when he observed a vehicle driving at a high rate of…

Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for murder of George Floyd

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to 270 months, or 22 ½ years, in prison Friday for the murder of George Floyd. In April, a Hennepin County jury found Chauvin guilty of all three counts he was facing for his role in Floyd’s May 25, 2020 death: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. However, Chauvin…

Crews Respond to Overnight Duluth Heights Neighborhood Fire

The damage to the home is estimated at $75,000. 

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Fire Department responded to a house fire around midnight on Friday morning at 6 West Linden Street in the Duluth Heights neighborhood. When crews arrived, they found a large amount of fire on the porch of the home. Two residents were able to escape and taken to a local hospital for treatment. Two cats were…

What to Know as Chauvin Sentenced in Floyd Death Friday

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin faces sentencing Friday in the death of George Floyd, with a judge weighing a prison term experts say could be as much as 30 years. Chauvin, 45, was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyd’s neck for about 9 1/2…

Update: Duluth Police Asking for Public’s Help Identifying Suspect in Smoke Shop Robbery

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect from the Tuesday morning Sadi’s Smoke Shop robbery. Video surveillance from the smoke shop was recovered by investigators with the Duluth Police DepartmentsViolent Crimes Unit. According to police, officers responded to a hold-up alarm at the smoke shop located on the 1600 block…

Duluth Man Charged with Second-Degree Murder of St. Cloud State Professor

Investigators say 45-year-old Jason Beckman might have had issues with substance abuse and mental health.

DULUTH, Minn.- A 45-year-old Duluth man is behind bars in St. Cloud for randomly shooting and killing a longtime St. Cloud State Professor with ties to Duluth. Now more is coming out on Jason Beckman’s criminal past, why he was in St. Cloud, and what brought him to pull the trigger. A Stearns County judge is examining the mental competency…

Suspect in St. Cloud Shooting Formally Charged

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The 45-year-old Duluth man arrested for the murder of 68-year-old Ed Ward has been formally charged. On Tuesday, Jason Robert Beckman was charged with three felony counts including second-degree murder with intent-not premeditated. According to the criminal complaint, St. Cloud police responded to reports of a shooting at a residence around 6:16 a.m. Sunday where officers…

St. Cloud Homicide Suspect, Victim Have Ties to Duluth

Formal charges are still pending for the Duluth man police say randomly shot and killed Ed Ward in a doorway in St. Cloud.

DULUTH, Minn.- A weekend homicide in St. Cloud now has two close connections to Duluth. The alleged suspect lives here, as well as the daughter of the victim who was a longtime college professor. Photo: Amy Jones 68-year-old Ed Ward’s daughter says her family is grieving the loss of her father — a kind and compassionate man. Formal charges are…

Final Suspect In Duluth Homicide Turns Himself Into Police

DULUTH, Minn. – The fifth and final suspect wanted in connection to Duluth’s first homicide of the year turned himself into police Monday evening. Homicide victim Juamada Anderson Jr., 22, of Duluth. A city spokesperson said Markus Seville Morris, 31, a well-known boxer from Duluth, made contact with the Duluth Police Department around 5:20 p.m. An arrest warrant was issued…

Police From Minneapolis, UM to Step up Patrols in Dinkytown

MINNEAPOLIS – Officers from the Minneapolis Police Department and the University of Minnesota will begin patrolling the Dinkytown area near the university in an effort to curb violent crime. Dinkytown has been a popular spot for students over the years and is home to numerous restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and apartments. Crime near campus has surged recently, much of it…

Duluth Police Identify Victim in Downtown Shooting

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police have identified the victim injured in a shooting that took place Sunday night in downtown Duluth. Police say 41-year-old William David Urrutia was struck by gunfire on the 100 block of East 3rd Street around 9:15 p.m. Urrutia was transported to a local hospital for his injuries but has since been released. Authorities say Urrutia…

St. Cloud State Professor Identified as Victim of ‘Random’ Deadly Shooting

(photo credit: Family of Ed Ward) ST. CLOUD, Minn. (FOX 9) – The man shot and killed in what police say was a “random” incident Sunday morning in St. Cloud has been identified as a 68-year-old St. Cloud State University professor. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office said the victim was Dr. Edward Anthony Ward. The University confirmed the news Monday,…

1 Injured In Downtown Duluth Shooting

The condition of the victim was not immediately known.

Duluth police on scene of the shooting Sunday night. DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are investigating a shooting that injured one person in downtown Duluth Sunday night. The report of the shooting came in around 9:15 p.m. on the 100 block of East 3rd Street. One male was shot and taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries. At last…