Jamestown Officer’s Deadly Force in December Shooting Justified
State’s attorney finds the officer’s actions were warranted in the Dec. 3 incident
Jamestown, North Dakota, Sgt. Cory Beckman, Devin Quinn Fontenot, Deadly Force
Fremgen shared his findings in a memo, saying there was no reason to charge Sgt. Cory Beckman. The whole thing started when police got reports of a guy with a gun and a knife in a parking lot. When Beckman arrived, Fontenot was still firing shots.
The situation escalated quickly. Fontenot didn’t listen when Beckman told him to drop his weapon. Fremgen pointed out that the officer had good reason to believe Fontenot was a serious threat.
Beckman, who has been with the department for five years, was responding to calls about a man who had been kicked out of a bar and was loading a weapon. Video footage showed Fontenot with what looked like a rifle just before the officer got there.
Beckman tried to get Fontenot to comply, telling him multiple times to drop the gun. But Fontenot kept firing, which put everyone around in danger. Eventually, Beckman fired back when he felt it was necessary to protect himself and others.
Now, Beckman is on paid administrative leave while everything gets sorted out. It’s a tough situation, but the state’s attorney believes he acted reasonably given the circumstances.