UPDATED: Jamestown Police Chief praises officer who stopped active shooter

Dec. 3—JAMESTOWN — “He definitely saved some lives,” said Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger.

Edinger is referring to the police sergeant, who he says is a five-year veteran of the force, who shot and killed an active shooter outside of Freds Den in downtown Jamestown.

According to police, Stutsman County Communications Center received a 911 call at 1:17 a.m. Tuesday of a male armed with a gun and a knife standing in the parking lot behind Freds Den, 113 1st Ave. S. The caller reported the male had been involved in a physical altercation inside the bar and had been removed.

Edinger said the other people involved in the fight went outside, though they had not been removed from the bar.

Jamestown Police Maj. Justin Blinsky said officers immediately responded to the area, and as they responded, the 911 caller said the male had started shooting at the building with a rifle.

“Some of the rounds went through windows to the bar. I don’t know exactly what other buildings were hit, but a number of buildings and a number of cars were hit,” Edinger said. He said some people were pinned in the parking lot. “They were stuck behind the car so they wouldn’t get shot,” he said.

Edinger said it’s unclear how many shots were fired, but witnesses told investigators the shooter reloaded the rifle at one point.

The police sergeant was a couple blocks away when the first 911 call came in. He was alone but immediately confronted the shooter, Edinger said. Backup was minutes away due to the snow-covered roads. Edinger said the sergeant got within a few feet of the shooter and talked with him for about a minute despite the fact the shooter was still firing the rifle at times.

“The officer exercised an incredible amount of restraint initially until he just couldn’t anymore,” Edinger said.

The officer ordered the suspect to put his weapon down, but the suspect refused and jeopardized the safety of the officer, Blinsky said. The officer shot the male suspect.

Officers rendered first aid to the suspect, and he was transported to Jamestown Regional Medical Center, where he died, Blinsky said.

It’s unclear if the shooter ever fired at the officer. The chief said the sergeant’s body camera was activated.

“I don’t know what this person’s intentions were, if they were intending to go into the bar. If they were going to stay out of the bar, I don’t know what that intention was,” Edinger said.

The name of the suspect is not being released until the next of kin can be notified. Edinger said he believes his department had only had one other prior contact with the man.

The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident, he said. The officers involved in the incident have been placed on standard administrative leave.

The owner of Freds Den declined to comment.

The Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office, Jamestown Area Ambulance and the North Dakota BCI assisted on the scene.

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