Crime

Man Injured in Superior Stabbing Incident

SUPERIOR, Wis. – One man is recovering at a local hospital following an altercation between two men that resulted in one of the men being stabbed multiple times, according to police. Officers were called to a private residence around 10 p.m. Tuesday on the 1900 block of Broadway. When police arrived at the scene they found a man with multiple…

Duluth Police Dept. Switches To COVID-19 Emergency Schedule

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department is switching to a COVID-19 emergency patrol schedule to allow for a built-in quarantine period. Officers will now work five-day, 12-hour shifts with 10 days off. Investigative staff will be on rotating shifts to serve as back-up for patrol. As of Tuesday night, 27 employees were in quarantine for being exposed to the…

Mother Admits to Drinking, Looking at Phone Before Crash that Killed 3-Year-Old

CLOQUET, Minn. – The mother of the child killed in a single-vehicle crash in Cloquet Sunday afternoon told police she had been drinking and looking at the GPS on her cellphone prior to the crash that killed her son and injured her 5-year-old daughter. According to police, Misty Louise Mattinas, 26, of Onamia, Minnesota has been charged with criminal vehicular…

Former Hermantown Teacher Sentenced for Sexual Assault of Student

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – A former Hermantown Middle School teacher charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old high school student last year has been sentenced. Madeleine Schmaltz, 30, received sentencing of three years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to the felony charge in September. According to the criminal complaint, a mandated reporter contacted…

Former Duluth Chamber of Commerce Accountant Charged With Theft Ordered to Pay Restitution

DULUTH, Minn. – The former Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce Accountant charged with theft by swindle of more than $235,000 from the Chamber was sentenced Monday and ordered to pay restitution. Jesse Frye,40, received a sentence of 3 years probation, 90 hours of community service, and will need to pay restitution as part of his plea agreement. Frye had previously…

Accident Near Sawbill Trail Leaves Passenger Dead, Driver Arrested

It was determined the deceased was a passenger in the vehicle and the 36-year-old driver from Isabella, MN, had left the scene, authorities say.

GRAND MARAIS, Minn.- A 55-year-old male was found deceased in a damaged truck after an accident in Cook County, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The suspected 36-year-old driver of the truck was taken into custody on charges of Criminal Vehicular Homicide. According to authorities, on November 7, 2020, at 6:03 am, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office was notified…

Cass Lake Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Murder of Girlfriend’s Son

CASS LAKE, Minn. – A Cass Lake man has been sentenced to 180 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of Second-Degree Unintentional Murder of his girlfriend’s son. According to the criminal complaint, officers responded to a call of a non-responsive four-year-old on August 21, 2019. When officers arrived on the scene they found the mother holding the…

Duluth Police ‘Experiencing Impacts of COVID-19,’ But City Won’t Say Total Cases

DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth would not confirm how many officers or staff members with the Duluth Police Department were off the beat Thursday with COVID-19 after a press release was sent out that said the department is “experiencing impacts of COVID-19.” “We respect our employees right to privacy and all disclosures are voluntary.  Therefore, we will not…

Judge Declines to Move Trial of Officers in Floyd’s Death

(Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via AP) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A judge on Thursday declined defense requests to move the trial of four Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death, and also ruled that all four would be tried in a single proceeding. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled after defense attorneys had argued that pretrial publicity had made it…

Home Struck 8 Times During Drive-by Shooting in Duluth’s Piedmont Neighborhood

This is the 32nd shooting in Duluth so far this year compared to 22 in 2019.

DULUTH, Minn. – Another shooting has happened in Duluth – the 32nd so far this year compared to 22 last year. It was a drive-by shooting around 11:30 p.m. Sunday involving a home in the Piedmont neighborhood – just one block from Piedmont Elementary School, according to a press release. Nearby surveillance video obtained by FOX 21 shows the vehicle…

Bail Set at $2M for Teen Accused in Wisconsin Shootings

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin court commissioner on Monday set bail for an Illinois 17-year-old accused of killing two people during a protest at $2 million, setting aside pleas from one victim’s father to double that amount. Kenosha County prosecutors have charged Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, with fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony…

Illinois Judge to Rule on Rittenhouse Extradition to Kenosha

CHICAGO (AP) — The mother of a 17-year-old accused of killing two demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is among those slated to testify at a hearing in Illinois to decide if her son should be extradited across the border to stand trial on homicide charges. During Friday’s hearing, Kyle Rittenhouse’s lawyers also planned to call an expert on self-defense and former…

Duluth Firefighter Cited for Assaulting Woman in July now Formally Charged

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth firefighter placed on a 30-day unpaid suspension this summer after being accused of assaulting a 65-year-old woman on a West Duluth trail, has now been formally charged with multiple felonies – he was previously facing a misdemeanor assault citation for the incident. Conrad Sunde, 49, was charged this week with first-degree aggravated robbery and third-degree…

A Large Drug Trafficking Ring Dismantled By Duluth Police & Other Law Enforcement Agencies

Nearly 50 people are now being charged after a year-long investigation focused in Duluth, Rochester, and on the Iron Range brought down this drug operation.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department and a string of other law enforcement agencies including the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce have shut down a significant drug trafficking ring that extended throughout Greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Duluth police say this is the largest drug bust in history for the region. Nearly 50 people are now being…

Trucker Who Drove Through George Floyd Protesters Is Charged

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A truck driver who drove into a large crowd of protesters on a bridge in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd was charged Thursday with two criminal counts. Hennepin County prosecutors charged Bogdan Vechirko, of Otsego, with making threats of violence, a felony, and criminal vehicular operation, a gross misdemeanor, the Star Tribune reported. Prosecutors allege that he…

Eveleth Shooting Suspect Charged With Felony Assault

EVELETH, Minn. – A Duluth man arrested for shooting at one individual and assaulting another in an Eveleth Subway parking lot earlier this week has been formally charged. Authorities say 29-year-old Jamar Maurice Smith has been charged with felony second-degree assault, felony domestic assault, felon in possession of ammunition or a firearm, and fifth-degree possession of methamphetamine. According to the…

Judge Dismisses 3rd-Degree Murder Charge Against Derek Chauvin, Other Charges Remain

(Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via AP) MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Hennepin County judge has dismissed the third-degree murder charge against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin but denied the defense’s motions to dismiss the other charges against him. Chauvin remains charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Judge Peter A. Cahill issued several critical rulings Thursday….

UPDATE: Two Injured in Eveleth Subway Parking Lot Shooting, Suspect In Custody

EVELETH, Minn. – The Eveleth Police Department says the suspect in the Subway parking lot shooting is now in custody. Jamar Maurice Smith, 29, was taken into custody just after 6 p.m. on the 800-block of 12th Street North in the city of Virginia. He was brought to the Virginia St. Louis County Jail and booked for second-degree assault-firearm-substantial bodily…

Duluth Police Investigating West Duluth Shooting Incident

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department Violent Crimes Unit is actively investigating shots fired incident that happened in West Duluth last week. According to police, officers responded to reports of possible shots fired in the area of the 100 Block of 56th Avenue West around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Officers at the scene spoke with witnesses and learned that one…

Superior Police Hear Shooting Outside Businesses During Patrol, One Injured

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Superior police officers who were on patrol heard a shooting happen outside of two businesses just after 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to a press release from the city’s police department. Officers were near Tower Avenue and North 7th Street when they heard a gun, or guns, go off. When they got to the scene, police…

Central Hillside Hit-and-Run Leaves 60-Year-Old Injured

A 20-year-old has been arrested for colliding with a 60-year-old pedestrian, who's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

DULUTH, Minn.- A 20-year-old suspect has been arrested for striking a 60-year-old pedestrian with her vehicle in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood leaving him injured Saturday, according to a spokesperson with the Duluth Police Department. At about 12:04 p.m. Duluth Police received report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle at the intersection of 4th Street and 2nd Avenue West, the…

Judge Finds Cases Against 5 in Whitmer Plot Can Move Forward

(Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, File) GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that prosecutors have provided enough evidence to move toward trial for five Michigan men accused of plotting to kidnap the state’s governor. A two-day preliminary hearing this week featured testimony by one of the FBI agents who ran the investigation, relying on…

Judge Rejects Request to Delay Access to Floyd Case Filings

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota judge has rejected a prosecution request to put a 48-hour hold on filings in the criminal cases of four Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill said Thursday that a natural lag in the court filing system gives prosecutors sufficient time to see filings and ask that they be…

Level 3 Offender Located After Tip From Public

VIRGINIA, Minn. – A Level 3 predatory offender has been located and taken into custody thanks to a tip from the public. In a Wednesday press release, the Minnesota Department of Corrections asked for the public’s help in locating 33-year-old Royce Anthony Drift who was wanted for violations of the conditions of his supervised release. Drift had been listed as fugitive…

Update: Ely Stabbing Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder

ELY, Minn. – The Ely Police Department announced on Tuesday that the 16-year-old suspect arrested earlier this month for assaulting and stabbing a 13-year-old male has been charged with attempted murder. Authorities say, Michael William Haapala, 16, is currently being held at the Arrowhead Juvenile Center in Duluth and is charged with second-degree attempted murder. According to reports, officers were…

St. Louis County Deputies Respond to Three Vehicle Accident Wednesday Night

All parties involved were wearing seatbelts.  

MIDWAY TOWNSHIP, Minn. – St. Louis County Deputies responded to a call of a three-car accident at the intersection of Midway Road and Stark Road in Midway Township on Wednesday night around 7:30 p.m. Upon arrival, deputies found that a vehicle traveling southbound on Midway Road attempted to turn East on Stark Road in front of a northbound vehicle. The…

Cloquet Man Indicted on Five Counts of First Degree Murder

CLOQUET, Minn. – Charges have been upgraded for a Cloquet man accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend along with her son earlier this year on the Fond du Lac reservation. 33-year-old Sheldon Thompson now faces eight total charges including five counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection to the deaths of 27-year-old Jackie Defoe and…

Attorney for Man Shot by Duluth Police Calls for Officer’s Firing, More Transparency by City

"The only conclusion you can possibly glean from the facts is that that officer intended to kill Mr. Fyle," Attorney Andrew Poole said. 

DULUTH, Minn.- The attorney for an unarmed man shot by Duluth Police one month ago during a domestic assault call is calling for the officer to be fired, and for the city to be more transparent. This comes as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has not yet concluded its independent investigation into the case. In pictures provided by Duluth…

Duluth Man Found Guilty of Aiding and Abetting Second-Degree Murder

DULUTH, Minn.-Christopher Boder, 32, of Duluth, has been found guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in connection with a 2019 shooting death. It all happened in September on the 300 block of North 62nd Avenue West where 33-year-old Timothy Nelson, a father of five, was shot and killed in his vehicle. Authorities believe the shooting happened after a drug…

Duluth Police: Man Pulled Gun During Argument at Dunkin Donuts

According to Police two males got into a verbal argument inside Dunkin Donuts, and one man left to get a firearm from his car before leaving.

DULUTH, Minn.- One man is in custody, according to the Duluth Police Department, after pulling a firearm on another man during an argument at a Dunkin Donuts. A spokesperson with the Department said around 11 a.m. Saturday officers responded to a report of a person with a gun at the Dunkin Donuts on Central Entrance Road. According to the spokesperson,…

One Person Is Dead In An Officer-involved Shooting On I-35 In Pine County

PINE COUNTY, Minn. – One person is dead after an officer-involved shooting that happened on I-35 in Pine County around 2 p.m. on Friday. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says the shooting took place in the northbound lanes nearby the Mora exit along the interstate. Autorities say at about 1:45 p.m. on Friday, law enforcement responded to a 911…

Nashwauk Man Sentenced to 105 Months for Criminal Vehicular Homicide

ITASCA COUNTY, Minn. – A Nashwauk man charged with fatally hitting a two-year-old boy and injuring his teenaged aunt with his truck last August appeared in court for his sentencing Friday. 40-year-old Jake Michael Place was sentenced to 105 months in prison, the maximum sentence under the law. Place pleaded guilty in March to criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular…

Suspect, 16, Arrested After Ely Teen Rescued From Ravine With Stab Wounds

ELY, Minn. – The Ely Police Department says a 16-year-old suspect has been arrested after a 13-year-old male was found injured down a ravine Thursday afternoon. According to police, officers were dispatched to the area of 800 Miners Drive around 3:30 p.m. on a medical call after a hiker called 911 to report that someone appeared to have fallen down…

Minnesota Man Cited After Assaulting Reporter Near Trump Rally

(Facebook/Duluth Police Department) DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Attorney announced on Thursday that a citation has been issued to the Minnesota man caught on video assaulting a reporter near the Trump rally held at the Duluth International Airport last week. According to a recent press release from the city, 70-year-old Duane Waldriff, of Lamberton, was cited with misdemeanor assault…

13 Charged in Plots Against Michigan Government

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan’s attorney general has charged seven people with plotting to target law enforcement and attack the state Capitol building. The announcement comes after six others were charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home in reaction to what they viewed as her “uncontrolled power,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday…

6 People Charged in Plot to Kidnap Michigan Gov. Whitmer

(Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, File) DETROIT (AP) — Six people plotted to try to kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at her vacation home, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday in federal court. According to CNN, Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta were charged in the Western District of…

Derek Chauvin Released From Minnesota Prison

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Derek Chauvin has been released from the Oak Park Heights, Minnesota prison after posting a non-cash bond. A Minnesota Department of Corrections spokesperson confirmed Chauvin was no longer being held at the prison on Wednesday, and state court records show Chauvin posted bond. Chauvin had been at the Oak Park Heights prison since May 31, awaiting his scheduled…

UPDATE: Reporter Now Pressing Charges in Attack During Protest

UPDATE: Earlier today, the Duluth Police Department announced the photojournalist involved in an attack at a Trump protest would not press charges in the case. Duluth police now say the victim expressed the desire to move forward with seeking charges. Authorities are forwarding the case to the City Attorney’s Office for review of misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct. ——————————————— DULUTH,…

Police: Person of Interest Identified in Recent Central Hillside Shooting Incident

Duluth Police Responded to the 500 Block of West 3rd Street Shortly Before 5:00 a.m. Sunday

DULUTH, Minn. – Three people were hospitalized Sunday for injuries Duluth police believe are related to a shooting incident in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood. Shortly after receiving the report, authorities said Essentia ER reported three gunshot wound victims; a 23-year-old male, a 28-year-old male, and a 32-year-old female. All have non-life threatening injuries. Police believe their wounds are a result…

Police: 3 Shot at ‘Gathering’ Inside Central Hillside Apartment

Essentia ER reported three gunshot wound victims; a 23-year-old male, a 28-year-old male, and a 32-year-old female. All have non-life threatening injuries.

DULUTH, Minn.- Three people were hospitalized Sunday for injuries Duluth police believe are related to a shooting incident in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood. According to a department spokesperson, officers responded to a report of a shooting inside an apartment on the 500 Block of West 3rd Street at 4:53 a.m. Sunday morning. Shortly after receiving the report, authorities said Essentia…

Male injured from Self Inflicted Gunshot Arrested for Possession of Meth

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police say a 23-year-old male that presented to the emergency room in Duluth Thursday morning was later arrested for possession of methamphetamine. According to police, officers responded to the emergency room around 12:36 a.m. on reports that a male had arrived at the ER with a gunshot wound to the thigh. After police interviewed the male…

Formal Charges Filed in Superior Homicide Case

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Charges have been filed against a Superior man accused of killing his mother in the Central Park neighborhood just before 7:00 a.m. Tuesday. Robert Bennett III, 39, has now been formally charged with first-degree intentional homicide. According to the criminal complaint, multiple officers were dispatched to a residence on Norwood Avenue on reports of a stabbing. When…

Fond du Lac Funeral Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty to Felony Charge

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The 29-year-old Minneapolis man accused of shooting a man during a funeral on the Fond du Lac reservation last October pleaded guilty to one felony charge on Wednesday. According to court reports, Shelby Gene Boswell announced his guilty plea to illegally possessing and discharging a firearm in a school zone in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis….

Homes, Cars, and Businesses Shot at By Suspects With BB Gun in Ashland

ASHLAND, Wis. — According to Ashland police, four homes, four businesses, and thirteen vehicles all had damage reported from shootings with a BB gun on Monday and Tuesday. Witnesses told police they saw the suspects driving around and shooting BBs at windows. One victim was actually sitting in their car when their window was shot at, and other people were…

Adult, Juvenile Arrested in Ashland for Criminal Damage to Property

ASHLAND, Wis. – The Ashland Police department says two people are in custody for allegedly driving around in a vehicle shooting BB’s at windows of cars and buildings. Authorities say they received multiple complaints on Monday night involving multiple cars and building windows being damaged in the city of Ashland. Ashland police say one of the vehicles that were shot…

Duluth Man Previously Convicted of Vehicular Homicide, Pleads Guilty to Driving While Impaired

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man who was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for killing a pedestrian while driving under the influence of a controlled substance pleaded guilty on Tuesday to first-degree driving while impaired. According to the criminal complaint, a concerned driver called police on the afternoon of March 9, 2019, due to a vehicle that…

Superior Man Arrested on Suspicion of Killing His Mother

Robert Bennett III, 39, of Superior, accused of first-degree intentional homicide of his mother Cindy Bennett. 

SUPERIOR, Wis.- A Superior man is behind bars, accused of the city’s first homicide since 2017. The victim, police say, is the suspect’s own mother. The prime suspect under arrest is Robert Bennett III, 39, of Superior, who is accused of first-degree intentional homicide of his mother Cindy Bennett. The call for help came in just before 7 a.m. Tuesday…

Update: Superior Man Arrested in Connection to Mother’s ‘Suspicious Death’

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior police say they have arrested an adult male in connection to Tuesday’s ‘suspicious death’ in the city’s Central Park neighborhood. Police say after receiving a call for help from the home of Cindy Bennett they believe an altercation ensued between the victim and her adult son. Bennett died as a result of injuries sustained during the…