PURSUIT RESULTS IN ARREST AND DEPUTY STRUCK BY VEHICLE

On Friday August 7, 2015, at approximately 5:30 PM the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office received a request for assistance from Red Lake Police and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who were in pursuit of fleeing vehicle traveling south on MN Highway 89 near the Red Lake Casino, which is located near Alaska Township 25 miles northwest of the City of Bemidji. The male driver was reportedly involved in an assault involving weapons on the Red lake Reservation and at the time of the pursuit was reportedly armed with a firearm and sword.

Minnesota State Patrol Troopers and Beltrami County Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle on TH 89 near Grange Rd NW (County Road 22) in northern Eckles Twp, by deploying a tire deflation device. During an unsuccessful attempt to stop the fleeing vehicle, a State Patrol Trooper was nearly struck by the fleeing suspect vehicle.

Beltrami County Deputies, MN State Patrol Troopers and Agents of the FBI continued to pursue the vehicle on rural Beltrami County Roads until a second attempt was made to use the tire deflation device on Aure Rd (County Road 24) in Buzzle Twp. Deflating one of the suspect vehicles tires, the vehicle failed to stop and continued to flee on a deflated tire, but did so at greatly reduced speeds.

Near the junction of TH 89 on Aure Rd. a Beltrami County Deputy successfully deployed a pursuit intervention Technique (PIT) Maneuver, successfully terminating the pursuit.

The suspect vehicle was barricaded in and the officers began to approach the vehicle when the suspect attempted to flee again by operating his vehicle at a high speed in reverse. This action resulted in a Beltrami County Deputy Sheriff being struck and injured by the fleeing vehicle. The suspect vehicle struck other law enforcement vehicles before being stopped. The driver, Nodin Makwa, age 20, of Red Lake, MN was taken into custody without further incident. Makwa complained of injury from the incident and was transported to Sanford Emergency Department, Bemidji, where he was medically cleared and released. .

The Beltrami County Deputy Sheriff sustained serious injury and was flown from the scene by North Memorial Air Care helicopter to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, MN where his current condition is reported as stable.

Makwa is currently being held in the Clearwater County Jail pending a review by the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office for formal criminal charges.

The MN State Patrol, MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Federal Bureau of Investigation or leading the ongoing investigation.

Submitted August 8, 2015

Ernie Beitel, Chief Deputy Sheriff

Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office