Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
A Fort Belknap man was taken into custody Wednesday morning after a two-county high speed chase, apparently in connection with a double- homicide in Lodge Pole early that morning. Blaine County Sheriff Glenn Huestis said Jay Has Eagle was taken into custody after the chase that crossed county lines. Huestis said the information he had was that the chase was related to a homicide. FBI agent Juan Becarra in Salt Lake City said this morning that the bureau is working with the Fort Belknap Indian Community police to investigate a double homicide on the reservation. He said that he had no information about the victims except they were a man and a woman. Becarra said a man was in custody, and the government expected to file charges this morning, but no additional details were available. Loren “Bum” Stiffarm, chief administrative officer for the Fort Belknap Indian Community, could not be reached for comment this morning. Stiffarm said Wednesday that a press release would be issued today. Huestis said deputies from his office were involved in the high speed chase, as were Phillips County sheriff’s deputies after Has Eagle crossed the line into that county. Huestis said the chase then led from Phillips County back into Blaine County and nearly back to Lodge Pole. Has Eagle was taken to Indian Health Services after he was apprehended, Huestis said, but he had no details about any injuries including whether they may have been self-inflicted. Has Eagle was not listed in the roster of the Hill County Detention Center this morning. Deputy Phillips County Attorney Dan O’Brien said Has Eagle had bonded out earlier this month on Phillips County felony charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. Those charges stemmed from an incident near Dodson on Aug. 30, where Has Eagle was accused of beating a victim on the head with a rock, O’Brien said. Derek Gunn, who was charged by accountability in the incident, is still in the Hill County Detention Center facing Phillips County felony charges of attempted deliberate homicide, assault with a weapon and aggravated assault, O’Brien said. Has Eagle had been released on $50,000 bond, which has since been revoked, O’Brien said.
