Beltrami County Sheriff's Office

06/05/2026

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY…

This week, Minnesota’s Division of Emergency Communication Networks held meetings across the state regarding Next Generation 911 (NG911). One meeting was held at BSU and Beltrami County had several attendees.

Beltrami County endeavors to participate in emerging technologies when it comes to emergency communications. Ensuing our ability to reliably process emergency calls is of paramount importance. Equally important is being able to locate callers which is why our GIS and IT departments have been so heavily tasked in assisting us.

In order to accomplish that, representatives from Beltrami County GIS, Admin, IT, Emergency Management and the Emergency Communications Center participated in the discussions, preparing for and shaping the future.

Recent outages and connectivity challenges have proven Beltrami County’s infrastructure is robust and reliable while maintaining preparedness for cyber related intrusion attempts.

[Image: Attendees in a conference with a large screen 'What's the big deal about NG911?']

06/03/2026

With Gratitude and Remembrance...

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office extends our condolences to the family of Chaplain Derek Claypool.

We celebrate your life, your kindness, and the legacy you leave behind. Thank you for your service to the Sheriff’s Office and the residents of Beltrami County through some of our shared darkest moments. Peace be with your family during this difficult time.

Chaplain Derek Claypool Sr. July 5, 1956 - May 29, 2026

[Image: Black background with Sheriff's Office badge and image of Chaplain Derek Claypool at a law enforcement memorial service. Text as referenced in this post.]

06/03/2026

Outdoor sirens testing at 1pm today.

SIREN TEST TODAY...

We have been monitoring the weather and while there are a few showers and perhaps an isolated thundershower in the region, severe weather is not expected so we will be conducting the scheduled outdoor warning siren test at approximately 1PM today.

[Image: Federal Signal outdoor warning siren with blue sky in the background.]

06/02/2026

The issue mentioned below appears to have been resolved.

# # # # #

We are troubleshooting an issue with 911 calls and diminished audio between the caller and dispatch. It appears to be a Verizon issue and our providers are working on it as well. If you aren’t able to hear dispatch on 911, call 2183339111 option 2.

05/29/2026

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY...

Graduation season is wrapping up and while we can't share every story, we wanted to share this one... we stopped by and congratulated Johnny on his graduation.

All the best to all area graduates! This is the start of the rest of your lives... for all you other students, have a safe and enjoyable summer!

[Shared image: First Responders at the back of an ambulance congratulating a recent graduate with a cake at the Boys and Girls Club.]

👨‍🎓🎉💙
This week, we celebrated Club member Johnny as he graduated from high school!

Since joining the Club in 2019, Johnny has brought smiles to everyone around him with his positive attitude and love for learning. To make his graduation extra special, we surprised him with a visit from local first responders he greatly admires.

👉 Read the full story here: https://www.bgcbemidji.org/news/

05/28/2026

WHERE WE AT WEDNESDAY…

We have a huge county, the 4th largest in Minnesota. Let’s have a game on Wednesday where we post a photo from a location in the county and you can guess where it is. What are the rules? Well… post a comment where you think it is. The next week, or sometime around there, we will “like” correct answers. We will post the location in the comments.

What do you win? A few pixels that indicate you guessed correctly.

[Image: Body of water with sun shining brightly and empty dock.]

05/25/2026

Memorial Day… thank you to those who have served and we pause to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

05/22/2026

8109 IS 10-7...

Today we bid farewell to Deputy Lee Anderson, Badge Number 8109. Lee began his career with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office in 1997 as a Corrections Officer, before becoming a Deputy Sheriff. Lee wore many hats in his tenure as a Deputy. To name a few, he was a Field Training Officer, fi****ms instructor, SWAT Operator, member of the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, and was one of the original deputies trained in Project Life Saver. Lee also spent a hand full of years working “The North End” patrolling the northern parts of Beltrami County.

Lee was known and respected by his partners and the community for his communication abilities. He was always quick to spark up a conversation on a call, and brought a calming effect with him. Lee was also known for his endless jokes, ridiculous quotes, and infectious laugh.

With Lee’s departure we say goodbye to our longest tenured Deputy. During the last 29 years, Lee made a positive impact on hundreds of newly hired deputies, including every Deputy currently working for BCSO.

There is an odd phenomenon in Law Enforcement, often times when a retired or previous Deputy’s name is mentioned it is not is the best context. There are exceptions to this and Lee will be one of them. Lee has left BCSO with enough stories, one-liners, and quotes to last a lifetime.

If you see Lee, wish him a happy retirement.

8109, 10-7 at 1600 HRS, 05/22/26.

[Image: Photo of Deputy Lee Anderson wearing some cool shades.]

05/22/2026

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY...

Donut make fun of us for getting stuck on the roof... it was for a good cause! We participated in the Dunkin "Cop On A Roof" fundraiser for Special Olympics this week. Donuts are even sweeter when they are for a good cause!

[Images: Smiling and happy law enforcement officers on the roof of Dunkin with a ladder as part of a fundraising campaign.]

05/18/2026

Press Release – Shooting Injury and Arrest

May 18, 2026

Bemidji Township - Beltrami County, MN: An adult male was injured in a shooting southeast of Bemidji on Friday, May 15, 2026, that resulted in the arrest of another male.

On May 15, 2026, at approximately 2:27pm the Beltrami County Emergency Communications Center received a report of shooting in the 1200 block of Little Norway Ave SE. Deputies and emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene and upon arrival located an adult male who had been shot. The victim was provided medical care before being transported by ambulance to Sanford Bemidji Medical Emergency Department, later being transported to Sanford in Fargo.

An extensive investigation was initiated, and the suspect was identified as 18-year-old Ray Gene Jacob Tahahawah. The suspect vehicle was identified and later located by Red Lake Law Enforcement within the Red Lake Nation. The suspect was taken into custody and charges are pending through the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office. The name of the victim is being withheld and is reported to be in stable condition as of Sunday, May 17.

The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Bemidji Police Department, Paul Bunyan Task Force, Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, Red Lake Department of Public Safety, Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Federal Bureau of Investigations and Bemidji Ambulance Service.

This investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.

-Sheriff Jason Riggs