Bemidji Stabbing Suspect in Custody

 

At approximately 9:20 PM, Thursday evening May 1, 2014, Mr. Mert Scripture 71, answered a knock at his front door at his house, NW of Bemidji in Grant Township.  Orland James Spears, 23, of Redby, asked to use the telephone to make a call.  Mr. Scripture allowed Spears to make a phone call from outside his front door.  After completing the call, Mr. Scripture closed his front door and turned away when suddenly Spears broke through the door and stabbed Mr. Scripture twice in the chest and fled on foot from the scene.  A call to 911 brought Beltrami County Deputies and Bemidji Police to the scene.  First aid was administered to Mr. Scripture by officers and he was subsequently transported to Sanford Emergency Department where he remains at the time of this release.

 

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Communications Division sent a CodeRED alert for the neighborhood advising citizens to lock their doors and watch for the described suspect whose identity was not yet known.  Additional officers and investigators flooded the area and began to conduct a manhunt.  A Beltrami County K-9 officer was called to the scene and the canine began tracking the suspect through the woods.  After several hours of searching the K-9 lost the scent of the suspect in the wooded area west of Bemidji.

 

During this time it was learned the suspect had stolen a car on Red Lake which he had used to drive down into the neighborhood.  Investigators were able to determine the identity of the suspect as Orland Spears which gave investigators more leads to follow while attempting to apprehend Spears.

 

At approximately 10 minutes after 5 AM the Beltrami County Communications Center began receiving phone calls from citizens in the neighborhood reporting the suspect walking around near homes in the area.  Deputies in the area arrived at a residence where the suspect had just entered the garage.  Deputies entered the residence and located the suspect, who refused commands to lower his knife and surrender.  The police K-9 was released and the suspect was successfully apprehended after the dog took the suspect down.

 

Spears was arrested and transported to the Sanford emergency department for treatment of his injuries and placed into custody at the Beltrami County Jail.  The investigation will be presented to the Beltrami County Attorney's office for consideration of serious assault and burglary charges.

 

Beltrami County Sheriff's office was assisted by the Bemidji Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol and the United States Border Patrol.

 

 

 

 

Sheriff Phil Hodapp

 

ORLAND JAMES SPEARS, 23, REDBY, MN

 

 

Bemidji Hillside Drive Blocked Due to Four Wheel Drive Damage

The City of Bemidji announced, due to four wheel drive vehicles damaging Hillside Dr SW (located at the south end of Irvine Ave along Lake Irvine) and creating muddy conditions not to mention tearing up the road again,  the City of Bemidji has closed Hillside Dr SW at each end (junctions of Park Ave SW and Woodland Ave SW) effective today, April 3, 2014.  The road will be closed until further notice and any traffic needing to access their residences or for purposes of emergency services,  access to the stretch of road where people live is from Park Ave SW to Woodland Ave SW from the east.  

 

The city encourages people to disseminate this information and share with those who might have the urge to go mudding!!

 

Bemidji Police Department to Conduct Tobacco Compliance Checks

In order to assure that local tobacco retailers are not furnishing tobacco to underage buyers, the Bemidji Police Department will be conducting tobacco compliance checks beginning in early April.  The checks will continue into late May.

 

The Bemidji Police Department encourages licensed tobacco retailers to educate their employees on proper procedures in checking customers’ identification and refusing sales to underage buyers.   Employees and employers may be subject to criminal and civil penalties for tobacco sales made to underage persons.

 

This round of tobacco compliance checks is funded by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division.  The grant is part of the “Educate and Congratulate Project” which seeks to educate retailers and keep tobacco out of the hands of Minnesota youth.

 

BEMIDJI POLICE ARREST SUSPECT IN DEATH OF CHILD

On February 27th, 2014, at 6:23 a.m. the Bemidji Police Department, along with members of Bemidji Ambulance, Bemidji Fire and the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a weather related medical call at 924 Carter Circle SE, Bemidji, MN. Upon arrival officers discovered a 6 year old female who was unresponsive. She had signs of being exposed to the frigid elements and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Bemidji Police Department has been working tirelessly to establish the details, timeline and cause for the exposure death of six year old Mercedes Mayfield. The Bemidji Police Detectives have worked closely with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, Beltrami County Social Services, Beltrami County Attorney’s Office and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office to assure all evidence has been collected and processed during this exhaustive investigation.

 

On March 14^th Rachel Downer, age 22 of Bemidji, was arrested and booked for 2^nd degree Manslaughter and felony Neglect of a child. Rachel Downer is a cousin of Mercedes Mayfield.

 

Church Fundraiser Proceeds Stolen in Hubbard County Burglarly

The Hubbard County Sheriff's Office and the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating a burglary at a residence in northern Hubbard County that occurred sometime between 2/9/2014 and 2/13/2014.

Taken was a money bag containing proceeds from a church fundraiser for the Knights of Columbus. The empty money bag was recovered in the area of Cass Lake and was turned into First National Bank in Bemidji, MN on 2/11/2014 by an unknown male party.

The MN BCA & the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the identity of the male individual that located the money bag in an effort to gather information on the location and time that the money bag was recovered. 

Any information regarding the identity of the male individual or information surrounding the burglary, please contact Deputy Bill Schlag with the Hubbard County Sheriff's Office at 888-732-3332.

 

Beltrami County Sheriffs Reports for March 5th

BELTRAMI COUNTY BURGLARY SUSPECTS ARRESTED

Clearwater Deputies responded to a residential burglary early Saturday morning.  Witnesses described a Toyota Tundra pickup leaving the scene which matched the description of a vehicle used in several burglaries in Beltrami and Cass Counties.  Mahnomen County deputies stopped the vehicle and arrested JOSHUA JAMES MARTIN, 29, Walker, JERMEY JAY MARTIN, 25, Walker, JASMINE LEE BELLCOURT, 19, Cass lake .  The suspects were found with items taken from the Clearwater burglary in their vehicle including a gun. 

 

Beltrami Investigators and Cass County deputies went to the suspect's residence near Walker, MN with a search warrant and recovered stolen items from several Beltrami County, Cass County and Mahnomen Counties Burglaries.  Several guns, pick-ups full of stolen property, a stolen trailer and approximately one ounce of methamphetamine were seized from the suspect's house.  The suspects are currently in custody in Clearwater County on Burglary charges while the cases are being reviewed by the county attorneys of Beltrami, Cass and Mahnomen Counties.

 

Victims of these burglaries are being contacted today by investigators to meet with investigators at the law enforcement center and recover their stolen property .

 

The success of this investigation is due to the great teamwork exhibited by Clearwater, Mahnomen, Cass and Beltrami County Sheriff's Offices.

 

Sheriff Phil Hodapp