On-duty Red Lake Tribal police officer one of two killed in two-vehicle crash

An on-duty Red Lake tribal police officer was one of two drivers who died in a traffic collision Wednesday.

The crash occurred on Hwy. 1 east of the Red Lake community, according to the Red Lake Police Department.

Police identified the officer as Jesse Branch, 35, and the other person who died as Alan Lussier Jr., 37. The circumstances of the crash have yet to be disclosed.

Red Lake Tribal Chair Darrell G Seki Sr. has ordered flags flown at half-staff at tribal buildings and other locations in Branch’s honor.

Branch’s sister Tina Garrison told the Minnesota Star Tribune that her brother worked for Red Lake law enforcement since he was 18 years old. He started as a corrections officer and moved up to be a police officer.

“He was always welcoming,” Garrison said. “He was always willing to do anything, always cheerful, friendly, joking around.”

Garrison said her brother had a girlfriend for more than a year. The girlfriend had kids and “he treated them as his own kids. He would do anything he could for anybody else,” she said.

Branch grew up in Bemidji and loved rodeo, horses and 4H, Garrison said.

The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office shared its condolences on its Facebook page.

“Officer Branch was a respected professional officer who loved the community he served,” the post said. “He previously served on the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Posse and had just joined the North Country First Responders. He was supposed to pick up his gear today.”

As night fell Wednesday, the sheriff’s office provided an escort through Beltrami County in honor of Branch.

Many who knew Branch took to social media to mourn him.

“He was so so proud to move from detention to police officer,” wrote Alice Benaise, who said she chatted with him Saturday. ”He told me he had just come back from a training. He just loved Red Lake [and] our people.”

Longtime coworker Ashlyn Lyons said Branch “dedicated his life to Red Lake Nation.”