KVLY accused of publishing fake news by family of police shooting victim
BCI police shooting investigator: "You've got to realize they're all owned by the same people"
by Timothy Charles Holmseth on December 15, 2016, 6:05 P.M. CST
"It appears a lawsuit may already be brewing, following the shooting of a man by a UND Police Officer in Grand Forks last weekend"
That was the lead line of a story published by Neil Carlson of KVLY following the shooting of David James Elliott - the unarmed man shot by a rookie University of North Dakota police officer in front of Grand Forks, North Dakota hospital emrgency room in 2015.
But Jennifer Elliott - Carlson's source - said it was not true.
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Carlson, a reporter with KVLY (Valley News Live) allegedly published the fake news story after Jennifer Elliott refused to grant him an interview.
Interviews conducted by agents of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) with Jennifer Elliott (David Elliott’s wife at the time of the shooting), and her mother, Margaret Dolan, reveal the two family members were greatly affected and distraught by the false reporting of KVLY.
According to Jennifer Elliott and Dolan, Carlson hounded Jennifer Elliott for an interview; promising her the station could use methods to disguise her identity but she declined.
Jennifer Elliott said KVLY then simply fooled their viewers into believing they had interviewed her by stating they had talked to her. Jennifer Elliott said when she heard the news station publish a teaser that they had talked; she was terrified at what they might have made up about the non-existent interview.
Jennifer Elliott said Carlson had other people contact her through Facebook to give her his cell phone number.
Dolan also said she knows the Grand Forks Herald, another publication in North Dakota, can’t be trusted but noted she has just gotten used to it.
“You’ve got to realize they’re all owned by the same people,” said BCI agent Michael Ness.
In a related story from August, 2016, Write Into Action exposed WDAZ, another North Dakota news station, after produucers collaborated with presenters to fool their viewers about the same police shooting by hiding time-stamps of police-cam video so the public could not put together that the times of the body-cams did not match the dash-cams.
Write Into Action receently published a video showing BCI agents tried to provide the police shooter with a cover story after his body-cam was found hidden under his squad car.
Write Into Action contacted Neil Carlson earlier today for his side of the story but he did not respond.
The Office of North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem was contacted for comment but stated state law does not require them to comment.
Neil Carlson
KVLY
Valley News Live
December 15, 2016
Mr. Carlson,
I am independently conducting a journalistic investigation into the cover up of the true facts surrounding the pursuit and shooting of David James Elliott on February 28, 2015 in the Altru Hospital parking lot.
I am reviewing BCI interviews that include David Elliott’s wife Jennifer Elliott and her mother, [Margaret Dolan]. During the interview you are mentioned by name and KVLY is accused of publishing fake news.
Nolan and Elliott mentioned an article regarding assertions Jennifer Elliott had obtained a lawyer and was going to sue.
Nolan said, “They manipulate and lie, boy”.
Jennifer Elliott said, “The one day I came home and I just lay down on the couch for a little bit and I’m laying there and you know how they give out the news – the little blip – the advertisement coming up – and I think they said; it was KVLY; well we talked to Jennifer Elliott or something were going to give a update; I sat up off the couch said ‘did they just say…” I’ve never spoken with them. They were calling me wanting to interview - I just said no … I’ve never given them any information whatsoever”.
There was considerable commentary about you.
My research at this point indicates you have done very, very little (if any) investigating in this matter, which would naturally include obtaining police-cams and the 911 call from the pursuit and shooting.
I will likely be publishing content regarding KVLY; feel free to comment on any questions surrounding your journalistic integrity regarding this police shooting story.
I am investigating the far ranging issues of public safety created by this police shooting that involve Altru, University of North Dakota, UNDPD, GFPD, GFSO, NDHP, and other agencies.
Sincerely,
Timothy Charles Holmseth
Investigative Journalist/Author/Publisher
Cc: North Dakota Attorney General
Timothy Charles Holmseth
320 17th Street N.W.
Unit# 17
East Grand Forks, MN
56721
218.773.1299
218.230.1597 (cell)
www.writeintoaction.com
tholmseth@wiktel.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009187154735
“Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”
- George Orwell