Beltrami County man jailed after strangulation charge

A Beltrami County man has been jailed after a strangulation charge, a felony under Minnesota law that centers on a direct threat to breathing or blood flow. Minnesota Statutes section 609.2247 defines strangulation as intentionally impeding normal breathing or circulation.

That definition is why domestic assault by strangulation is treated as a serious domestic-violence offense. The conduct is not measured by bruises alone; the statute targets the act of cutting off air or circulation, which can turn dangerous quickly and often signals a violent escalation inside a domestic relationship.

The case will move through Beltrami County District Court, where prosecutors can lay out the complaint, a judge can address release conditions, and later hearings can set the path toward plea negotiations or trial. The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, which is based at 613 Minnesota Avenue NW on the Beltrami County Campus in Bemidji, handles county law enforcement functions and jail custody.

Beltrami County has seen strangulation allegations surface in other criminal cases over the years. In 2012, John Michael Luedecke, 39, of Puposky was charged in Beltrami County District Court with felony domestic assault by strangulation after an allegation that he used a nylon webbing belt to strangle a woman in an effort to secure her consent for sexual relations. In June 2026, John Loren Loch, 21, of Bemidji faced charges that included felony domestic assault by strangulation, third-degree criminal sexual conduct and misdemeanor domestic assault after a Bemidji Police investigation.

People seeking help in the county can turn to Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter in Bemidji, which serves Beltrami and Cass counties. The shelter lists a 24-hour crisis line at 800-588-6229 and a local number, 218-444-1395, and its mailing address is PO Box 563, Bemidji, MN 56619.

Beltrami County victim-services materials also direct victims to the county and city law-enforcement network at 613 Minnesota Avenue NW in Bemidji, with crime-victim information available at 218-333-9111 or 800-449-9111. In domestic-violence cases, those contacts can matter as much as the court date, because the first hours after an arrest often determine whether a victim can get protection, information and a safe place to go.