Red Lake Man Charged with Murder in Death of Red Lake Tribal Police Officer

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include information on a procession honoring Ryan Bialke in Bemidji.

A Red Lake man has been arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder and four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in connection to the shooting and death of a Red Lake Tribal Police Officer.

According to court documents, on July 27, officers with the Red Lake Tribal Police Department responded to a call to conduct a welfare check at a house in Redby, Minnesota. When officers arrived they found David Brian Donnell, Jr., 28, at his house standing outside on the porch. Officers attempted to have him walk towards them but Donnell went inside of the house instead.

Due to Donnell having an active tribal warrant and refusing to comply, officers broke down the door. Shots were then fired from inside the house towards the direction of the officers, where officer Ryan Bialke was struck by gunfire. Gunfire continued from inside the house towards the other four officers on scene when one of them started to return fire. Officers then went into the woods to escape the continued gunfire.

Shortly after, officers arrested Donnell at a nearby residence. Officer Bialke died at the scene.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

To honor Bialke, the Red Lake Police Department, along with other law enforcement agencies, held a procession this evening escorting Bialke through Bemidji to Cease Funeral Home. The procession made its way through Little Falls at around 4:30 this afternoon, and the route continued on Highway 71, making their way through Paul Bunyan Drive around 6:30 PM.