BEMIDJI - Kevin Thomas McCormick, 51 of Breezy Point, Minn., has been charged in Clearwater County District Court with felony first-degree assault and hunter harassment.
According to a report from Clearwater County Attorney Jeanine Brand:
At about 10:45 p.m. Nov. 6, law enforcement officers responded to a report of a trespasser on property located near the Height-of-Land Road in Clearwater County. Law enforcement officers found neither the reporter nor the trespasser on the scene.
At about 6 a.m. Nov. 7, the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office received a 911 emergency call from Pinehurst near Naytahwaush requesting an ambulance for a man with back injuries. Jerry Donald Benedict, was taken to the Mahnomen Health Center and then airlifted to Fargo, N.D., because of the severity of injuries.
McCormick was arrested and arraigned Nov. 8. Bail was set at $10,000 without conditions or $500 cash with conditions. The complaint states that McCormick pulled down a deer stand while Benedict was still occupying it.
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On Wednesday, Nov. 24, Benedict died at the hospital from internal injuries.
Investigation by the White Earth Police Department and Clearwater County Sheriff's Office continues. Brand said she will review the possibility of additional charges after reviewing the medical report.
