Cloquet man charged in Saturday shooting on Fond du Lac Reservation, charges pending against others

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A Cloquet man was arraigned in Carlton County District Court Wednesday in connection with a shooting on the Fond du Lac Reservation on Saturday, March 29.

Francis Alan Martineau, 46, is charged with one count of felony second degree assault and one count of misdemeanor fifth degree assault in the incident which took place at his home on Whispering Pine Drive.

At about 2 p.m. Saturday, Cloquet police were called to Martineau’s home for a report that a man had been shot. A 35-year-old man had been shot twice by a high-powered air rifle, according to police. His injuries were not life threatening and he was treated at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth.

Shortly before the shooting, the victim and Martineau allegedly had an altercation in which the victim refused to leave Martineau’s house. The two began pushing one another and the victim was eventually ejected from the home, records said. The victim also reported he had been assaulted with a shovel.

The victim then went back to his house, also on Whispering Pine Drive, told two women what had transpired and they returned to Martineau’s house to confront him. At that point, the victim allegedly carried a 4x4 piece of lumber and a machete-type weapon, while the women brandished large kitchen knives.

The trio confronted Martineau and his girlfriend on the deck of his home. After the victim threw the lumber at the home and continued to threaten them, Martineau allegedly retrieved a .177 caliber air rifle and shot the victim two times n the chest.

The bullets caused a minor fracture of one of his ribs. The victim also had suffered a concussion from blunt force trauma on his head, according to medical reports.

Martineau initially told officers that his girlfriend had shot the victim and she agreed, stating she had used a BB gun in the shooting, reports said. However, after additional questioning, the girlfriend allegedly said she had lied to protect Martineau and that he shot the victim.

Carlton County Attorney Thom Pertler said he expects to bring criminal charges against several of the others involved, including the victim, by early next week.

The Pine Journal generally does not name individuals until they are criminally charged.

Martineau has an extensive criminal history. He was currently on probation from a recent conviction in Cloquet, and he admitted Wednesday that he had violated the terms of that agreement by drinking alcohol on Saturday. He is serving a 60-day jail sentence for that violation, Pertler said. For the most recent charges, Martineau’s bail was set at $40,000.

This incident and a drive-by shooting several weeks ago on the same street do not appear to be connected, according to Cloquet Police Chief Wade Lamirande.

“This escalation of violence is still a concern to us,” he said. “Everybody involved on Saturday afternoon appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and this speaks to a larger long-term issue that needs to be addressed.”

During the incident, Cloquet Police were assisted by Fond du Lac Police, Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, Fond du Lac Conservation, Minnesota State Patrol and Cloquet Ambulance.

Martineau’s next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9.

Tags: shooting, reser ation, fdl