Cass Lake man charged with killing brother in chokehold on Leech Lake Reservation

A Cass Lake man is accused of killing his brother who he had locked in a deadly chokehold when tribal officers arrived over the weekend outside his home on the Leech Lake Reservation.

Arthur James Jones, 48, remains in custody and appeared Tuesday in Beltrami County District Court on charges of second-degree murder. He has a lengthy criminal history in Minnesota as outlined in the newly filed charges that describe what officers encountered about 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

That’s when a 911 caller said the brothers were fighting outside Jones’ home on Ten Lake Trail East, which is located within the reservation and Beltrami County.

Ten Lake Township Chairman Dave Fallis said a homicide in this rural community is rare.

“I don’t remember when the last one was even,” Fallis said, adding that he doesn’t know Jones or his brother.

Leech Lake Tribal Police Officers found Jones on top of his brother. He had his brother in a chokehold, Jones’ right arm wrapped around his brother’s neck and head “as he used his left hand as leverage,” the charges say.

Officers told Jones multiple times to stop and get off, but he refused, so they deployed a Taser. Jones still didn’t let go and allegedly said “he’s already dead,” charges say. Officers physically removed him from the victim, who was not breathing and did not have a pulse.

Jones admitted to choking the victim in a statement to police, charged said.

A witness said she woke up, heard a commotion outside and saw the brothers fighting. She yelled at Jones to get off of the victim and she had another witness call 911. The second witness told police that the victim was still alive and pleaded with her to help get Jones off of him.

The victim, who is not identified in charges or news releases, was rushed to the hospital in Cass Lake after officers attempted life-saving measures. He was pronounced dead at 5:30 a.m.

Abrasions inside of the victim’s mouth are consistent with vascular restraint, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office found in a preliminary autopsy.

Jones’ criminal history includes convictions in Minnesota of second-, third- and fifth-degree assault, felony terroristic threats, DWI, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of controlled substances.