9/3/09
West Fargo, North Dakota
From the West Fargo Pioneer of August 27, 2009
Homeowner fires at intruder
There is no suspect in the burglary attempt that occurred August 18, in Eagle Run at 1139 38 ½ Ave. W., where the homeowner, Jason Fonder, fired a single shot at an intruder discovered in his residence. Also home at the time were his wife, and two-year old daughter. There were no injuries and nothing was taken.
West Fargo Police responded to a call of a burglary in progress at about 1:30 a.m. By the time they arrived, the suspect had fled and has yet to be found.
The suspect is believed to have entered through an unlocked door. He is described as around 5’10” to 6 feet tall, in his late teens to early 20s, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and some sort of cap underneath the hood.
Police officials don’t know if this incident is related to the recent string of burglary attempts occurring in West Fargo. West Fargo Assistant Police Chief Mike Reitan said it’s the same in that the individual came in through an unlocked door, but dissimilar in that it occurred in a different area.
Evidence of the shooting was apparent by the entry area of the home, where the single bullet fired traveled through the wall and struck the ground near the front sidewalk. There was no evidence indicating that the intruder was injured and nobody reported a gunshot injury to any medical staff.
Under the North Dakota use of force law, a homeowner has the right to protect himself and his family when they feel threatened.
Police officials said Monday that no additional burglary attempts occurred over the weekend, instead all was quiet. They continue to encourage residents to lock their doors and report anything suspicious. They are also still asking that anyone with any information about a suspect matching the description in the Eagle Run incident, to call the West Fargo Police Department at 701-433-5500.
8/16/08
Minot, North Dakota
From KFYR of August 15, 2008
Minot Shooting Called Self-Defense
Who did it? That is cut and dry for Minot police, which is not typical in a shooting case.
Minot Police were called to this RV park just after 10:00 last night, August 14, for reports of gun shots fired. When they arrived they found 42-year old Jonnie Guerrero with three gunshots wounds to his leg. Shortly thereafter they also found a female and two males sitting outside a nearby trailer.
"The female had a gun in her possession and she admitted to using it on the victim who we had found," says Detective Jason Sundbakken, Minot Police Department.
Police say the group had been sitting outside when Guerrero approached them and started causing problems leading to a fight that eventually turned physical.
"The altercation blossomed into the gun shot victim brining a large metal pipe of some kind, allegedly, and swinging it at this lady`s husband. She was in fear of his life and therefore she took the gun she had in her pocket out and fired four rounds," says Det. Sundbakken.
The gun was a .22 caliber derringer pistol. It had been given to her by her husband for safety. It holds two shots. She fired four. She shot twice, reloaded and shot two more times.
"Due to the fact that she was acting in a way that was in self-defense of her husband and everybody else that was there, they are deciding not to pursue charges against her," says Det. Sundbakken.
Guerrero was transported to Trinity hospital where he is being treated for gunshot wounds to his leg. It’s not considered serious.
Labels: altercation, ND
10/25/07
Fargo, North Dakota
From In-Forum News of October 23, 2007
Man pulls gun on would-be robber
A would-be robbery victim turned the table on a robber in a case under investigation by Fargo police.
A gas delivery driver reported to police that he was confronted early Saturday morning by a man holding a knife when he was at a south Fargo convenience store.
The man with the knife, described as standing about 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds, told the driver to empty his pockets.
The driver reached toward his jacket pocket and said, “You brought a knife to a gunfight,” according to the report given to police.
At that point, the would-be robber fled quickly on foot, Lt. Pat Claus of the Fargo Police Department said. The man was described as having short hair, dark and curly, and was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, according to the incident report.
Labels: altercation, ND
10/17/07
Minot, North Dakota
From Bismark’s KXNet.com of October 17, 2007
Jurors in Minot acquit man charged in shootingFrom Dickinson’s KQCD.com of October 17, 2007
A Minot man accused of shooting another man has been found not guilty of aggravated assault.
A jury deliberated about three hours before returning the verdict today.
Sixty-five-year-old Robert Hurt was accused of shooting 37-year-old Michael Moran three times early on the morning of December 16th. Moran is now paralyzed below the torso.
Hurt said he shot Moran in self-defense.
Jury Acquits Man in Shooting
A Ward County jury has acquitted a Minot man who shot and paralyzed another man from the waist down.
The jury deliberated for about three hours on aggravated assault charges.
Robert Hurt, 65, shot Michael Moran, 37, three times after an early morning argument outside Hurt`s home in December.
Hurt`s attorney argued that the shooting was done in self defense and that his client feared for his life and was trying to protect his two sons.
Prosecutors says Hurt had plenty of time to call police before shooting Moran.
Labels: altercation, ND
8/23/05
Mandan, North Dakota
From the Grand Forks Herald of August 23, 2005
Two men shot at Mandan mobile home park
A man shot two people at a mobile home park here after he was asked to help a woman who had a drink thrown on her, police say.
Mandan Police Chief Dennis Rohr said a 28-year-old man was shot in the stomach and a 20-year-old man was shot in the leg. Both men are from Bismarck. Rohr said their injuries were not life-threatening.
Police were called to the Countryside complex shortly after midnight Monday. Rohr said both of the shooting victims were intoxicated, and one of them "threw a drink on a woman and, of course, that led to a disturbance."
Rohr said the woman began banging on a neighboring mobile home, asking for help. A 58-year-old man "went outside and had a gun on him," Rohr said. "One of the men sucker-punched him."
The neighbor then fired two shots from a .38-caliber pistol, Rohr said.
The man and the two shooting victims were taken to a Bismarck hospital.
"The 58-year-old man was complaining of heart and chest pains," Rohr said.
The case has been turned over to the Morton County state's attorney. Rohr said he did not know if charges would be filed against the shooter.
"Detectives are looking at how provoked he was or if he shot in self-defense," the chief said.
7/27/04
Bismarck, North Dakota
From the Bismarck Tribune of July 27, 2004
Soldier with 957th runs down alleged burglar
The sound of shattering glass, a woman's screams and the gentle nudging of his wife woke Chris Seil, a mechanic with the 957th Multi-Role Bridge Company, from a deep sleep at about 5 a.m.
About 15 minutes later an armed Seil had ran down the alleged culprit, David Bad Brave, 19, Bismarck, and turned him over to police. Bad Brave was charged Monday with breaking into an apartment, vandalizing vehicles and lying to police officers.
Immediately after the unexpected wake-up, the couple looked out their upstairs bedroom window and spotted a teenager standing next to the "wide open" front door. Seil said the door of their Boise Avenue residence was usually locked, but they left it open that night because they were expecting a late-night guest from Fargo.
"I yelled 'Hey you, stay right there,'" Seil said. The intruder ran away.
Seil said he had been trained to deal with alarms in the year he was stationed in Iraq. Ignoring the pleas of his wife to "just leave it," Seil grabbed a handgun from the night stand and ran out the door.
"I didn't even think, I just grabbed it," he said. "I think it was a military thing."
His wife, Trish Seil, watched from the bedroom window.
"I didn't know if this guy had a weapon, so that kinda freaked me out a little bit," Trish Seil said. "Chris just ran out, and I couldn't really see him for most of the time."
Barefoot and wearing only pajama bottoms, Seil jumped a fence and chased Bad Brave across apartment complex parking lots. When it looked like Bad Brave might escape, Seil said he cocked the handgun and told him to "stop or I'll shoot."
"I didn't know what he did in my house, if he hurt someone or stole something," Seil said.
Seil said Bad Brave stopped and attempted to punch him, but Seil kicked the intruder's legs out from under him and jumped on his back. Seil said he walked Bad Brave to a nearby police car holding on to the man's shirt and ponytail.
3/17/04
Fargo, North Dakota
From the Fargo Forum of March 17, 2004:
Man shot at, arrested after North Fargo break-in
He may have been drowsy after getting roused from bed, but Chad Hinkley said he knew exactly what he was doing when he shot at an old friend Tuesday.
Hinkley said screams outside his home at 808 N. University Drive awakened him about 3:15 a.m., but he didn’t respond. He said he knew it was Trent Lehman, a former roommate who a few weeks ago began accusing Hinkley of dating an ex-girlfriend.
“I knew he wasn’t there to be nice to me,” Hinkley, 28, said.
So when Lehman, 30, crashed through his front door, Hinkley went for his 9 mm pistol. The two men met in the house, separated by an entryway between rooms.
Hinkley said he drew his gun and fired, missing intentionally by about three feet, when Lehman kept walking toward him.
“I wasn’t going to take any chances when he comes kicking my door in at three in the morning,” said Hinkley.
Lehman, who lives in Dwight, N.D., left after the shot, and both men called police.
After investigating the incident, police arrested Lehman, and Cass County prosecutors charged him with felony criminal trespassing and misdemeanor criminal trespass. A message left Tuesday morning at the Cass County Jail for Lehman went unreturned.
Sgt. Kevin Volrath said Hinkley might face a city ordinance violation for discharging a firearm in Fargo, but it didn’t appear he broke any laws.
“He was defending his own property,” Volrath said.
Labels: assault, home invasion, ND
