Leech Lake Police and Beltrami County Sheriff K9 Team instrumental in arrest of convicted felon after an incident involving firearms

TEN LAKES TOWNSHIP: On July 1st, 2019 at approximately 0127 hours the Beltrami County 911 Communications Center received a report of gunshots outside a residence in the 800 block of Porcupine Rd., Southeast in Ten Lakes Township which is located approximately 15 miles east of Bemidji. Deputies from the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and Officers from the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department responded to the area. Leech Lake Officers arrived in the area first and conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle they believed may have been involved with the incident. Upon making the traffic stop a male party fled from the vehicle into the woods. Leech Lake officers were able to identify the individual who fled from the vehicle and learned that there was an active felony warrant for the subjects arrest for the crime of domestic violence. The subject was also known by the Sheriff's Office and Leech Lake Officers to have a history of assaultive behavior and weapons possession. When Beltrami County deputies arrived on scene they found that the vehicle involved in the traffic stop contained numerous firearms. Beltrami County Deputies and Leech Lake Officers also learned that the subject was a person of interest in a crime of violence that had recently occurred in Cass County.

Beltrami County Deputy Kyle Nohre and his K9 partner Mac arrived on scene. K9 Mac and Deputy Nohre are certified through the North American Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) as a Police Utility Dog team as well as a narcotic detection team. Mac is trained and certified through NAPWDA in tracking and criminal apprehension. K9 Mac and Deputy Nohre have been as a working team with the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office for approximately 3 years.

Deputy Nohre deployed K9 Mac in the area where the suspect had fled and was quickly able to take up a track. K9 Mac tracked for approximately 200 yards through a yard, into the woods again, to a location where the subject was hiding. K9 Mac then apprehended subject and assisted Deputy Nohre and Leech Lake Tribal Officers into safely taking the subject into custody.

The subject arrested was identified as Floyd R. Desjarlais, age 31, of Cass Lake, MN. From the initial shots fired incident investigation a total of 5 people were taken into custody.

Ernie Beitel

Beltrami County Sheriff