BEMIDJI — A Cass Lake man is facing second-degree unintentional murder charges after a fight between brothers turned deadly Saturday.
Leech Lake Tribal officers and Beltrami County deputies responded to the domestic disturbance call around 4:30 a.m. The caller reported two brothers were fighting.
Court documents state law enforcement arrived at the scene and witnessed 48-year-old Arthur Jones holding his brother in a chokehold. After multiple verbal commands to stop, Leech Lake officers deployed a Taser. They said Jones still refused to release his hold on the victim.
After attempting life-saving measures, first responders transported the victim to the Cass Lake IHS hospital where he was pronounced dead around 5:30 a.m.
The autopsy report shows the victim had multiple injuries to the head and neck that are consistent with strangulation.
Jones made his first court appearance from the Beltrami County Jail on Tuesday while sitting in a wheelchair. Before conditional bail was set at $1 million, Jones requested a lower bail amount to attend a scheduled surgery. Judge Matti Adam advised that Jones would receive medical care while incarcerated.
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Contributed/Jimmy Emerson DVM via FlickrThe Beltrami County Attorney's Office said the three men admitted to their involvement in the June 2023 incident, with one pleading guilty to murder.
