Man strangles St. Louis Co. deputy, hides in tall tree for hours: Sheriff

RICE LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities say a man strangled a St. Louis County deputy then climbed into a 30-foot tree where he stayed for hours before his arrest. 

Deputy assaulted

What happened:

The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy responded to a report of a suspicious person Monday afternoon near the 4100 block of Willard Road in Rice Lake.

When attempting to arrest the man, authorities reported he started assaulting the deputy, at one point aggressively strangling him.

Following the assault, the man fled and climbed up a 30-foot tree. Law enforcement attempted to negotiate with him over the course of four hours before he came down.

The man was taken into custody and transported to the St. Louis County Jail. He had not been formally charged as of Tuesday morning.  

The deputy was treated and released from a medical facility. The sheriff’s office did not share the extent of the deputy’s injuries. 

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, Duluth Police Department, Hermantown Police Department, Superior Police Department, Rice Lake Fire Department, Duluth Fire Department and Mayo ambulance assisted with this matter, according to a press release.