Schneider: Grand Forks Sheriff's deputies faced potential situation similar to Mercer County deputy

(Grand Forks, ND) — Law enforcement officer safety is at the top of everyone’s mind, on the heels of the deadly crash claiming the life of Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Martin last week. Martin died when a vehicle driven by 42-year-old Ian Cramer struck Martin’s patrol vehicle, pushing the vehicle into Martin and fatally wounding the veteran of the sheriff’s office.

Grand Forks County Sheriff Andy Schneider said his officers were faced with a similar situation Tuesday night, when deputies responded to a reckless driver in Grand Forks County. Authorities were notified of a reckless driver on Highway 2 near Larimore.

“It was called in by a citizen, which is concerning,” Schneider said. “A citizen was able to gather a license plate off the vehicle.”

He said that, thanks to the quick work of the citizen, dispatchers were able to identify the vehicle as being stolen out of Fargo.

Deputies from the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office, along with North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers, were responding — and there was no law enforcement in the immediate area. The suspect was near the Nelson County-Grand Forks County line, and the sheriff’s deputies were the closest authorities to the scene.

Deputies with Grand Forks County initiated a traffic stop approximately eight miles into Nelson County, and that’s where Schneider said the ordeal escalated.

“The suspect decided to flee instead of pull over and comply with law enforcement,” he said. “At one point, he attempted to turn around in an approach. He could have been trying to go southbound, or he may have been just turning back eastbound, we’re not sure.”

A deputy with the sheriff’s office attempted a PIT maneuver, but it didn’t work. A few miles east, a deputy was deploying spike strips on the highway.

Law enforcement safety again became the focus at that time.

“The deputy was able to pull way off of the roadway, into a field approach,” Schneider said. “He was able to safely lay the spike strips across and communicate with deputies that were also coming.”

Schneider said his officers safety that night was due, in part, “to great planning by the deputy that deployed the strips.”

He said the impact of a deaht like Martin’s weighs on law enforcement’s minds.

“There is no way you're not thinking about a deputy that just lost their life doing the exact same thing,” Schneider said.