Publisher’s Note: This is being published in the interest of public safety. The Grand Forks County Sheriff chose to lie to reporters about events surrounding a shooting. Therefore, I am going to ask questions that would typically not be asked.

Despite several press conferences, spokesmen for state, county, and local law enforcement have not completely explained what occurred the night David James Elliot was shot in the Altru parking lot near the emergency room entrance.

During the first press conference, Grand Forks County Sheriff Bob Rost attempted to mislead the public when he said his deputies did not become involved in the pursuit of Elliot until they were “in town”.

Rost later admitted to the Grand Forks Herald that his deputies joined the highway patrol near Manvel, North Dakota, where they were “following” Elliot on Interstate 29.

Close scrutiny needs to be applied when a Sheriff lies about the location of his deputies and what they were doing shortly before a man is shot in the head only steps away from an emergency room.  

Rost will not explain or elaborate why his deputies were “following” Elliot.

Lt. Dwight Love, Grand Forks Police Department (GFPD), has engaged in intellectual gymnastics in effort to separate the GFPD’s involvement with Elliot into two separate events.

Love said that at 10:40 p.m. on Friday, February 27, 2015, they received a 911 call regarding a suspicious vehicle outside the Wells Fargo Bank on Columbia Road in Grand Forks. He said GFPD approached; the vehicle exited and ran a stop sign; a traffic stop was attempted; the driver fled; a chase ensued hitting 100 mph; a supervisor called off the chase because it became unsafe.

“About two hours later that same vehicle was reported to police as a welfare check – possible suicidal subject – they came back into town – where it attempted to strike an officer attempting to make a traffic stop,” Love said.

Love insists the two events are separate – that the first event is the ‘suspicious vehicle’ and the second is the “suicidal subject’.

When a reporter asked Love who advised the GFPD that David Elliot might be suicidal he would not say. However, he claimed it was the ‘suicidal’ dynamic that caused the GFPD to attempt to stop Elliot’s vehicle.

“I certainly wish I could tell you why we believed he was suicidal. But I think that would affect the investigation moving forward. If you give it a couple of days I’m sure that will come out. But rest assured, that was something we were privy to, and that’s why we attempted to stop that vehicle.” 

Love’s claim is simply not believable, because the GFPD had just chased Elliot at speeds up to a 100 mph. The GFPD would still be interested in finding the vehicle and arresting the driver for eluding and reckless driving.
 
During a press conference, a news reporter asked Love how fast the speeds reached during the second pursuit.

REPORTER: Do you know how high the speeds reached in the second pursuit?

Lt. Dwight Love: I think it was right around seventy to eighty miles per hour.

Love gave the speed limit for I-29.

So what does this mean?

This is what it means. 

After eluding the GFPD, David Elliot left the city of Grand Forks. It is not known where he went or what he did. At some point, he was traveling down I-29 doing the speed limit. He was being followed by Highway Patrol and Grand Forks County Sheriff’s deputies.

Both Love and Rost said the Highway Patrol and GFSD were “following” Ellliot. Neither man said they were ‘pursuing’ or ‘chasing’ him.

“About two hours later that same vehicle was reported to police as a welfare check – possible suicidal subject – they came back into town – where it attempted to strike an officer attempting to make a traffic stop,” Love said.

Why were they making a traffic stop? He wasn’t being chased and he was going the speed limit.

Nonetheless, David Elliot is now classified as a threat to himself and others.

This status can make shooting a subject must easier to justify.

During the press conference, Love stated Elliot’s vehicle had hit spike strips twice.

Love said the GFPD placed one set of spike strips for David Elliot’s vehicle on the Columbia Road overpass, which he ran over with his tires.

However – Love does not explain or elaborate the location of the second set of spike strips. 

When was the first set of spike strips laid down?

The GFSD and Highway Patrol were only following Elliot down I-29 as he traveled along at the speed limit.

Why would law enforcement lay down spikes strips for a vehicle that is driving normally?  

It is known David Elliot managed to get his vehicle to the Altru hospital parking lot near the emergency room. 

REPORTER: Do you know if any officer, from any other agency, fired their weapon, beside the UND police officer?

Lt. Dwight Love: I guess I don’t feel comfortable saying that because I’m not part of the investigation. I know what our department did and our department didn’t fire any rounds.

Was David Elliot trying to get the E/R?

Had be already been shot?

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