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Craig Allen Knutson

Gender : Male

Age : 45

Race : White

Date : 09/07/2021

Location : I-94

City : New Salem

County : Morton

State : North Dakota

Agency : North Dakota Highway Patrol

Officer(s) :Trooper Stephen Mayer

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during vehicle pursuit

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On September 7, 2021, Trooper Stephen Mayer of the North Dakota Highway Patrol initiated a pursuit of 45-year-old Craig Knutson, who was reported for alleged reckless driving on I-94 near New Salem. The trooper escalated the chase, which continued for 21 miles at high speeds. During the pursuit, other troopers deployed spike strips, and Trooper Mayer executed a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, causing Knutson’s vehicle to spin and come to a stop.
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After the vehicle stopped, Knutson was reportedly seen to have a gun. Trooper Mayer fired a shot, fatally wounding Knutson. A revolver was later found inside the vehicle. There are no claims that Knutson pointed the weapon at police.
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The incident was investigated by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Morton County State’s Attorney’s Office cleared Trooper Mayer of any wrongdoing.
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Total Fatalities/Injuries during this police encounter: 1 fatality (Craig Knutson)

SOURCE LINKS :

• https://www.kvrr.com/2021/10/06/watch-trooper-justified-in-morton-county-shooting-dashcam-video-released/
• https://apnews.com/article/shootings-north-dakota-montana-billings-1a5b91466a9042f36745bb4475881ea9
• https://apnews.com/article/billings-north-dakota-montana-shootings-5336a91c0e76ebd0365ab7b21e7b5bd0