The Democratic candidate for Attorney General says it is disappointing that Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem seems to have left the state for "another conference" instead of commenting publicly on an incident that took place in Fargo-Moorhead last week.
Last week Fargo Police chased a suspect wanted on several felony charges through Village Green Golf Course in Moorhead. That suspect was later apprehended by officers with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, who were wearing plain-clothes and carrying guns while chasing the suspect through West Acres Mall. Kiara Kraus-Parr, who is running for Attorney General against Stenehjem says that Stenehjem himself has yet to comment on the incident, but that a spokesperson from his office says no policies were violated in the apprehension of the suspect, or with the lack of communication with Fargo Police. Kraus-Parr says if elected, she plans to propose a change.
"This informs us that BCI does not have a proper pursuit policy. Fargo Police does. And I suggest that we put forward a pursuit policy. I've developed a policy I believe is common sense; it has a first section of definitions. The second section would pertain to when it is proper to start a pursuit, and then the continuing evaluation of that pursuit by the officers would potentially result in disengaging from the pursuit as most pursuit policies require, when public safety is concerned."
Kraus-Parr says Stenehjem's "inaction" after the incident is behavior of a "career politician."
