Officials Struggle With Lack Of Shooting Information

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The lack of information released about the police chase and hospital parking lot shooting in Grand Forks over the weekend has many concerned.

City and state officials alike want to know what is really going on. It’s been 4–days and everyone from state officials to law enforcers are not pleased with the conduct of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Grand Forks Police, Grand Forks County Sheriff and UND Police Departments along with the North Dakota Highway Patrol want to be able to be transparent but they say because the BCI is leading the investigation, they can’t.

Grand Forks Lt. Dwight Love says, “I’m upset too because certainly, we the Grand Forks Police Department, anytime we have a local investigation I think we’ve been very forward with you guys in releasing the information pretty quickly.”

With as many local entities involved with the events of early Saturday morning, they had to pass this investigation over to Bismarck.

UND Police Sgt. Daniel Weigel says, “We like to have a third party so we wanted someone who was not involved with it so there’s no perceived bias.”

But one state official is concerned with the confusion in just receiving the basic information.

North Dakota State Senator Mac Schneider says, “What was concerning to me is that the attorney general’s office is saying that local authorities should be speaking for this issue and local authorities are saying the attorney general’s office should be speaking on the issue.”

Schneider believes information, especially about a shooting, should be made known so the public knows it is not in danger.

Weigel adds, “And we just ask that they bare with us through this tough and emotional time to make sure the investigation is done thoroughly.”

The BCI continues to investigate numerous chases involving 41 year old David Elliott of Grand Forks.

Authorities say he was considered suicidal and tried to run over officers with his pickup before he was shot. He is in Altru and has not been charged.