BRAINERD — A man held in the Crow Wing County Jail died Thursday, Feb. 22, in custody.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office reported jail staff discovered the man unresponsive in a jail cell about 9 p.m. The man was booked earlier in the evening on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
The sheriff’s office says correctional officers, medical staff and paramedics attempted life-saving efforts, but they were unsuccessful. Authorities did not identify the man in a Friday morning release.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Minnesota Department of Corrections is investigating the death.
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ICE arrests 4 in downtown Brainerd; Judge hears arguments to consider pause on Operation Metro SurgePlus: Prosecutors are declining to move forward with a case after alleging a federal officer was assaulted in Virginia; and hundreds gathered at a vigil Jan. 24, 2025, outside the Crow Wing County Jail. -
Contributed/IceOut.orgThe government did not present any witnesses to meet its burden to establish probable cause and instead moved to dismiss the complaint. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXESources with knowledge of the incident said the arrests took place at El Potro Mexican Restaurant on South Seventh Street in downtown Brainerd. -
Tony Webster/Tony Webster via Wikimedia CommonsThe hearing was to hear arguments for and against a temporary restraining order to pause the operation, as an estimated 3,000 federal agents are on the ground in Minnesota. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEAbout 300 people attended the vigil Jan. 24, 2026, a few hours after the shooting death of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis. -
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Contributed/Michelle Griffith / Minnesota ReformerHis statement underscores the increasing unease Minnesota Republicans — which now includes several swing-district lawmakers — are expressing about the surge of federal officers. -
Contributed/Tracy KampaChildren's librarian Tracy Kampa recommends new books from Beth Ferry, Daniel Miyares and Katherine Applegate. Plus, her recap of possible 2026 Newbery Medal contenders. -
Lead service lines are a pervasive issue in Minnesota. The state has a goal to replace them by 2033, but Hibbing Public Utilities aims to do it in two to three years.
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Contributed/Nicole Neri / Minnesota ReformerSigns emerged by Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, that at least some elected Republicans and gun rights groups were uncomfortable with the official line that Pretti posed a clear and present danger.
