Law Enforcement Holds News Conference Regarding Downtown Assault, Lack of Communication

The Cass County Sheriff's Office is conducting an internal investigation to determine why responding deputies did not flag the incident as an assault.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – More downtown crime news and more police news conferences, as the FPD and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office informed the public on August 6 about a violent assault that took place shortly after this weekend’s shootings.

In the early morning hours of August 3rd, the Fargo Police Department were occupied with the crime scene down in the 50 block of Broadway. So when there was a report of the 300 block, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to that scene.

They say they were only told that it was to help first responders load a man into an ambulance that was resisting that action. However, follow-up from the Fargo Police Department quickly determined that the man had been brutally assaulted. They then in turn informed the Sheriff’s Office of this, where higher-ups were caught off guard.

“Yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from a lieutenant in the Fargo Police Department, which is the first time our agency was made aware of this assault,” said Capt. Tim Briggeman of the Sheriff’s Office.

This has raised questions about communication between the departments.

“We’ll certainly take a look at that with Sheriff Jahner going forward, because until they do their part of the investigation, we don’t really know why that happened. We know it should have happened,” said Police Chief David Zibolski.

Zibolski also defended himself from criticism amidst a hugely hectic week for the department.

“I firmly believe I should stay as police chief, and I don’t believe these incidents have any bearing on that,” he said.

The police are searching for two suspects that were caught on security camera assaulting the 55-year-old man, who remains in critical condition at an area hospital.

Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner was on a family vacation when he was informed of the assault and the breakdown in communication.

He cut that short to return and address the media, and we expect to hear from him this evening.