Jury convicts Gideon Joseph Martin of first-degree assault, other charges

A St. Louis County jury in Duluth returned guilty verdicts Feb. 26, 2026 against Gideon Joseph Martin, 37, on multiple counts including First‑Degree Assault, County Attorney Kim Maki announced. Sentencing is scheduled for April 8, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. in St. Louis County District Court in Duluth.

Prosecutors tied the convictions to an incident May 26, 2025 after deputies responded to a home near Hermantown Road following a report of an unwanted man. Martin told officers he had gone through a shed to get a towel for a bleeding foot, and deputies initially questioned him about a nearby burglary before releasing him for lack of evidence.

Authorities say Martin then asked a deputy for a ride to an address near Willard Road in Rice Lake, and the deputy agreed to drive him. After arriving at the Willard Road area, court filings and trial testimony state Martin became agitated, climbed on top of the deputy and choked him from behind. The deputy nearly lost consciousness during the attack, according to the record presented at trial.

After the assault, Martin fled the scene and climbed a nearby tree, where he remained for about four hours before coming down and being taken into custody. Arrest and booking records referenced during the case place the standoff and arrest in Rice Lake following the May 26, 2025 incident.

The jury’s verdict followed a three-day trial. During the proceedings Martin represented himself, with a court-appointed attorney serving as standby counsel. Court records available to reporters list convictions that include First‑Degree Assault, Obstructing the Legal Process, Fourth‑Degree Assault, and the truncated entry "Fleeing a Peac" in the documents submitted as part of the case.

County Attorney Kim Maki announced the guilty verdicts to the court; the prosecution presented the May 26, 2025 timeline and the deputy’s near-loss of consciousness as central evidence. The St. Louis County District Court will hear sentencing arguments and impose a sentence at the April 8, 2026 hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m., where the judge will determine penalties based on the jury’s verdict and the statutory ranges for the convicted counts.