Red Lake Man Charged with
Assaulting a Law Enforcement Officer

Minneapolis - A forty-year-old member of the Red Lake Bank of Chippewa Indians was arrested this morning for assaulting a law enforcement officer. William Rufus Graves of Red Lake, Minnesota, was charged through a federal indictment with one count of assault resulting in serious bodily harm. The indictment was unsealed following the arrest.

Court records indicate that on May 31, 2007, while being held in the Red Lake Detention Center, Graves assaulted a law enforcement officer. Specifically, he kicked a cell block door closed on the officer’s hand, causing the officer’s finger to be severed at the knuckle.

If convicted, Graves faces a maximum potential penalty of ten years in federal prison. Any sentence, however, will be determined by a judge.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Red Lake Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tricia A. Tingle is prosecuting the case.

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An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by the defendant. The defendant, however, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.