REDBY, MINNESOTA – A Red Lake man will spend the next 37 years behind bars for the cold-blooded murder of Red Lake Tribal Police Officer Ryan Bialke. David Brian Donnell, Jr., 30, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the July 27, 2021, shooting.
The incident unfolded when officers responded to a welfare check at Donnell’s Redby residence. Five RLTPD officers arrived to find Donnell refusing to cooperate, despite an active tribal warrant for his arrest. After deciding to breach the door, Donnell unleashed a barrage of gunfire, immediately striking and fatally wounding Officer Bialke. He then continued firing – a total of at least 22 shots – at the remaining four officers, forcing them to retreat into the nearby woods.
“Although the 37-year sentence handed down today represents justice under the law, the harm can never be undone,” stated U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. The shooting wasn’t a chaotic confrontation; it was a deliberate, violent ambush. Donnell used a 7.62 caliber Izhmash Saiga rifle, demonstrating a clear intent to inflict maximum damage. He fled the scene with the weapon before being apprehended shortly after.
“Officer Bialke paid the ultimate price for his dedication to public safety,” said Alvin M. Winston, FBI Special Agent in Charge. The investigation, a collaborative effort between the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, the FBI’s Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, revealed a calculated act of violence. The sentence sends a message that targeting law enforcement will not be tolerated.
Judge John R. Tunheim, during sentencing, described the crime as “senseless” and extended his condolences to the Bialke family. “He was a fine man, I wish I had known him,” Tunheim stated. The courtroom was filled with Officer Bialke’s grieving family and colleagues, a somber reminder of the cost of violence. Donnell offered no visible reaction to the sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melinda A. Williams and Joseph S. Teirab. While a prison term can’t bring back Officer Bialke, it offers a measure of closure to a community reeling from the loss of a hero. The investigation continues to examine any potential connections Donnell may have had, and whether this act was premeditated or a spontaneous outburst of violence. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments.
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