Mahnomen sheriff thinks wounded deputy will survive
 Mahnomen deputy shot, 2 suspects arrested
 CaringBridge site

Two men are now charged in connection with a shooting that left a Mahnomen County sheriff's deputy critically injured.

Prosecutors charged Thomas Lee Fairbanks, 33, with first attempted murder. A judge set his bail at $1 million.

Daniel Kurt Venier, 27, was charged with lesser counts. His bail was set at $500,000. Venier allegedly told police that he was not the one to shoot 27-year-old Deputy Christopher Dewey.

Dewey, a four-year veteran of the sheriff's department, was found with gun shot wounds to the head and abdomen, laying in a driveway in Mahnomen Wednesday morning.

He had gone to a home to take a statement from a person who had reported hearing gunshots in the area.

His partner tried to contact him, when he didn't respond, his partner went to look for him and found him in the driveway.

While the legal process begins, support for Dewey is pouring in from across the state.

Dewey remains in critical but stable condition at MeritCare Hopsital in Fargo, ND, but his is now able to move both sides of his body and respond to his wife's voice.

He's receiving hundreds of messages of support through his CaringBridge website.

Some of those speaking up the loudest are his fellow members of the law enforcement community.

A Carver County sheriff's deputy wrote to Dewey, "Please know that you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers constantly."

Dewey's wife, Emily, updated the CaringBridge journal late Thursday night. She wrote "All of the support and kindness has been more than I could have imagined. When I was with Chris tonight, he responded so strongly to my voice and touch."

She also says his improvement has been incredibly encouraging.