Funerals set for Red Lake police officer, tribal member killed in double-fatal car crash

Services will be held later this week for the Red Lake police officer and tribal band member who died in a double-fatal car crash last week.

Jesse Branch, 35, was responding to a call for service Wednesday morning on Hwy. 1 east of Red Lake at the time of the crash. Alan Lussier Jr., 37, of St. Paul, who was visiting family in Red Lake for the holiday, also died in the crash, which remains under investigation by the FBI.

An FBI spokeswoman declined to provide any information Monday on the circumstances of the crash or answer questions regarding the preliminary investigation. The Minnesota State Patrol said it’s assisting the FBI with crash reconstruction but deferred all inquiries to the FBI.

Since the tragedy, there has been an outpouring of support for Branch by the law enforcement community. The Minnesota nonprofit Front Line Foundation announced Monday that it is granting a $20,000 death benefit to Branch’s family.

Branch, who grew up in Bemidji, served 17 years in law enforcement on Red Lake Nation, first as a corrections officer and then as a police officer. Family and colleagues remembered Branch as a beloved officer dedicated to the profession and the Red Lake community he served.

Lussier “was the protector of the family,” according to his obituary, which also said “he left an impact on everyone he met and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”

The Rev. John Christianson will lead a service for Branch at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Red Lake Humanities Center, with a reviewal beginning at noon. Visitation is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in Bemidji at Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home.

A wake for Lussier will begin at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the new Red Lake Center and continue until a service at 1 p.m. Friday with Christianson.