Investigative journalist assaulted head-on by vehicle one day before obtaining video
by Timothy Charles Holmseth on January 13, 2017, 08:35 P.M. CST
Never before seen video of a police shooting in Grand Forks, North Dakota has been exclusively obtained by Write Into Action.
The official version of the shooting is a lie.
Write Into Action (Timothy Charles Holmseth) obtained dash-cam video from a Grand Forks Sheriff’s vehicle that very clearly shows UND Police Officer Jerad Braaten shooting David James Elliott in the Altru Hospital parking lot in front of the Emergency Room.
The video of the shooting proves beyond any doubt that Grand Forks States Attorney David Jones willfully deceived the public when he announced the shooting was justified.
I have had opportunity to reports of investigation, supplemental reports, audio statements, photographic evidence, in-car videos, and PSAP recordings all relating to the underlying investigations.
– Un-dated Letter, Grand Forks States Attorney David Jones
Officer Braaten has indicated that he was concerned for the immediate safety of Sgt. Ellingson, as well as the safety of others at or near the scene of the Altru parking lot. It should be noted that in addition to the officers present, there was civilians present as well who were in the process of entering the Emergency Room. It should be further noted that Officer Braaten’s line of fire was away from the Emergency Room or other occupied areas of Altru Hospital.
– Un-dated Letter, Grand Forks States Attorney David Jones
Obtaining public records in this case has been an on-going battle that has now reached what appear to be blatant violations of the law by multiple law enforcement agencies in North Dakota.
The video obtained by Write Into Action this week was turned over by the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office only AFTER Write Into Action provided evidence from recorded BCI interviews of witnesses that proved the BCI possessed the dash-cam.
Write Into Action has also obtained other video from the scene of the shooting, as well as the 911 call made by David James Elliott the night he was shot. The additional video and 911 call were not in the inventory records but proven to exist by Write Into Action.
Today the following exchange occurred between Timothy Charles Holmseth and Liz Brocker, public information officer, Office of ND AG Wayne Stenehjem.
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Liz,
The records you initially sent me of documents pertaining to the pursuit and shooting of David James Elliott did not contain an inventory sheet that showed the videos you sent me (GFPD, GFSO, NDHP). I am requesting the BCI evidence inventory sheet that records the aforementioned video files you sent me.
Thanks,
Tim”
Brocker replied.
* * * * *
The records you requested have been provided previously. A public entity is required only to provide one copy of requested records. A public entity is not required to explain the content of its records.
We will not respond to further requests for these records.
* * * * *
Write Into Action possesses the CD the records are embedded into and no such inventory sheets are present.
ASSAULT UPON TIMOTHY CHARLES HOLMSETH
The day before I received the CD of the police shooting in the mail, I was assaulted by a vehicle that attempted to ram me head-on while I was working as a delivery driver. I avoided the collision by driving half of my car up onto a snow bank.
Corrupt Grand Forks Police Chief Mark Nelson and Grand Forks city officials have been notified about their little stunt on 16th Street, which should curtail any plans to ram my vehicle in the future and then accuse me of a bunch of felonies I didn’t commit.
STATUS OF THE VIDEO
Write Into Action is presently withholding publication of the video of the shooting for legal reasons.
DRUGS AND MURDER IN GRAND FORKS
As a matter of public safety, Write Into Action strongly recommends the public read previous articles regarding the homicide of Caitlin Jenna Erickson and its connections to the David James Elliott shooting.
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The David James Elliott pursuit and shooting
- David James Elliott telephoned Grand Forks PSAP (911) almost immediately after GFPD Dan Harvala attempted to pull him over for running a red light. David Elliott had no meaningful criminal history and there is no known reason he would feel compelled to flee at very high speeds. He stayed on 911 with a police officer, GFPD officer Matthew Bullinger, for some two hours until he was shot while holding the phone.
- David Elliott made arrangements to meet GFPD officer Matthew Bullinger at Altru. After arriving in front of the E/R David Elliott is seen pointing in the direction where UND officer Jerad Braaten is approaching him. He fled again on four flat tires and was shot through his back window by Jerad Braaten.
- David Elliott was unarmed.
- David Elliott had thousands of prescription pills in his truck that BCI agent Michael Ness said where in “bags”.
- Jennifer Elliott, David Elliott’s wife, said all the pills her husband possessed were all coming from Altru doctors.
- Grand Forks PSAP deleted the 911 call.
- UND police officer Jerad Braaten was not scheduled to work on the night he interjected himself into a slow speed pursuit and shot David Elliott.
- UND police officer Jerad Braaten, a rookie cop on his first job, was inexplicably training an intern (on a night he was not even supposed to work), Heather Hopkins, on the night of the shooting.
- David Elliott was nearly completely stopped atop the Columbia Road Bridge where he was trying to meet GFPD officer Matthew Bullinger. He continued inching forward as Jerad Braaten was pointing a gun at him.
- The audio portion of UND police officer Jerad Braaten’s body-cam captured him telling Hopkins he hoped to provoke David Elliott into ramming him.
- David James Elliott told Write Into Action (Timothy Charles Holmseth) that Jerad Braaten attempted to shoot him minutes before the actual shooting, while atop the Columbia Road Bridge, but his gun jammed.
- The audio portion of Jerad Braaten’s body-cam reveals a clicking sound on Braaten’s gun that sounds like a misfire atop the Columbia Road Bridge.
- Jerad Braaten’s dash-cam was never found and/or entered into BCI evidence.
- Jerad Braaten’s body-cam was found underneath his squad car where he tried to hide it.
- Jerad Braaten did not put his body-cam on his shirt until a few minutes before he joined the pursuit and shot David Elliott (although he had supposedly been on-duty for hours).
- Jerad Braaten had UNDPD intern Heather Hopkins put the body-cam on his shirt, which was placed on him improperly and captured no visual (except the moment it’s thrown under the car).
- After the shooting, the audio portion of Jerad Braaten’s body-cam reveals he asked Heather Hopkins if she saw David Elliott try to run a police officer over. Hopkins promptly replied yes. Braaten then told her he would need a witness statement confirming it and she said she would give it. However, when Hopkins was interviewed by the BCI she balked, and said she didn’t see what happened.
- GFPD Sgt. Mark Ellingson, the officer that Jerad Braaten said he was worried about, is captured on audio at the scene telling Jerad Braaten he was never in any danger.
- UNDPD chief Eric Plummer reprimanded Jerad Braaten in writing regarding issues with his police-cams.
- GFPD chief Mark Nelson subsequently hired Jerad Braaten onto his Department.
- Videos obtained by Write Into Action have been tampered with by someone using a video editor. For instance – dash-cam from the squad car of GFPD officer Dan Harvala is in clear crisp color on most of the footage. However, the portion that actually shows the shooting in the distance has been converted to black and white which obscures the details.
- Video showing what happened atop the Columbia Road Bridge has been redacted.
- Videos obtained by Write Into Action reveal the time-stamps on the dash-cams do not even remotely match the events taking place on the officer body-cams.
- David Elliot was shot three times in the head and his ear drum was blown out. Two of his fingers were shot off but re-attached.
- After being hired by the GFPD, Jerad Braaten was at the scene of a fireworks accident in Grand Forks where a man’s fingers were blown off. The fingers disappeared. They were found later on a picnic table in East Grand Forks.
The following is my investigative opinion.
- It is my investigative opinion that Jerad Braaten sounds like a psychopath when he is talking to Heather Hopkins.
- It is my opinion Jerad Braaten may have taken the fingers from the fireworks scene and kept them. He may have placed them in the Red River Valley Campground as a trophy of what he did to David Elliott and/or an ominous message to the drug trafficking underworld.
- It is my opinion GFPD chief Mark Nelson has violated his oath, betrayed the public, and is engaging in extensive efforts to cover up events that involve drug trafficking, shootings, and homicide(s).
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