McKenzie County Farmer - Sports

Travis Bateman
Farmer Staff Writer

Last year marked a level of violence not experienced in recent history for area law enforcement with two fatal deputy-involved shootings occurring.

The first occurred at a residence about three miles south of Watford City when a disturbance call summoned deputies to the residence of two off-duty police officers where one’s father had made threats with a pistol before being disarmed by his daughter, an officer-duty Watford City police officer.

What transpired upon the arrival of deputies sparked a great deal of tension in the community, questions on procedures, training, deescalation tactics, and agency transparency as during the encounter, Fitzwater, unarmed, would be tased multiple times by one deputy and then shot five times by a sergeant after Walter Fitzwater recovered from the taser effects, made a statement that he had a gun, and aggressively walked towards deputies. The gunshot wounds were fatal despite medical aid on scene given by law enforcement and emergency medical personnel. It took over six months before the sheriff’s office released edited video footage from body worn and vehicle mounted cameras. Doorbell security camera footage was released months prior by the daughter of the decedent.

An independent investigation conducted by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NDBCI) found the use of force within policy and scope of state and federal law, thereby declaring it a justified homicide after legal review by state’s attorneys locally and those of several other counties.

Then another incident involving an armed, suicidal adult male would bring deputies to a residence in East Fairview where a man armed with a handgun outside of a residence was fatally shot by a sheriff’s sergeant in that case.

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