Man arrested for manslaughter in hunting death of former police chief
Police investigating the death of a former police chief and deputy sheriff in an apparent "hunting accident" have arrested a man on manslaughter charges.
The body of Jay Nelson, 53, was found in his vehicle on a logging trail 20 miles northeast of Detroit Lakes on Saturday, November 10.
He died from a gunshot wound and initially the Becker County Sheriff's Office said his death appeared to have been a "hunting-related accident."
On Wednesday, they announced that they've arrested a 54-year-old man from rural Ogema on connection with Nelson's death.
He's being held on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and 2nd degree manslaughter.
While more details of his involvement in Nelson's death won't be released until such a time that he's formally charged, one of the incidents that qualifies for a 2nd degree manslaughter charge in Minnesota is "by shooting another with a firearm or other dangerous weapon as a result of negligently believing the other to be a deer or other animal."
Nelson retired from law enforcement in 2015 having served 9 years as Chief of Police in Lake Park, Minnesota. He was also formerly a deputy sheriff in Becker County between 1999 and 2006.
