FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Court documents have provided more details on the hours-long standoff between police and Derrick St. Claire in Fargo on September 5.
According to those documents, police were called at 10:26 A.M. by a woman reporting that St. Claire was under the influence of narcotics, armed with a knife and hammer, and was destroying property at the house. There were three people inside the house at the time, none of whom welcomed St. Claire into the home.
One of the people inside the house believes that St. Claire crawled in through a kitchen window, which was shut before going to bed. He reportedly woke up the people in bed by entering their bedroom and touching them as if he was looking for something in the bed. They then rushed out of the house.
The initial caller said St. Claire was stabbing the walls inside the house with a folding knife, stabbing so hard he broke the blade. St. Claire then began to use a hammer to hit the staircase, believing a woman he knew was inside the staircase.
He then reportedly tried to light the staircase on fire with a lighter, burning carpet in the process. One of the people in the house knocked the lighter out of his hand and left.
St. Claire then reportedly began to flip and move furniture inside the house. At one point, he indicated that he wanted her to call the police because he “was not going to go out alone”.
Red River SWAT was notified and arrived on scene and around 2:40 P.M. St. Claire was detained.
He is now being charged with one count of burglary with a firearm, destructive device, or other weapon.
