North Dakota
Sheriff sharing video of North Dakota teen on fire to prevent future foolish behavior
FORMAN, N.D. — It’s a horrifying 14-second video.
But a local sheriff wants it seen to save lives.
The video shows a teenager erupting in flames during an underage drinking party on a farm.
“The more I watch it, the more I see the intent in this,” said Sargent County Sheriff Travis Paeper, who said he’s watched the video dozens of times this week.
Investigators say the incident happened during a party at a farm west of Forman early Sunday morning. About three dozen kids between the ages of 14 and 19 were in attendance.
Paeper said he wasn’t prepared for what he was going to see when he first saw the video.
“The brake cleaner alone without the fire could have been deadly. I believe the young man was seconds away from having much more serious injuries.”
No adults were home during the party.
“The guy in the camo, he’s carrying the brake cleaner. It’s behind his back, he’s intending to hide it from the view of the victim. The victim is being distracted by these other guys,” Paeper exlained as he watched the video frame by frame.
Another teen has his phone out.
“He’s anticipating something is going to happen,” mentioned Paeper.
When you hit play you see a 15-year-old boy become engulfed in flames.
Fortunately two teens at the top of the stairs were able to put the fire out.
“This is one of those fires that is not going to be extinguished easily it’s like starting oil on fire, so these young people did a hell of a job putting this fire out,” Paeper said.
The boy suffered second and third degree burns to his neck and head.
He’s back at school but will need further specialized treatment.
“We really haven’t ascertained why this took place, I’m not sure if it is a prank gone wrong or what, we may not know that answer,” Paeper said.
Lance Tyler, 19, has been charged with aggravated assault. Police say he was the one who used the torch. Another teen is expected to face charges in juvenile court for spraying the brake cleaner.
“These kids need to understand some of these stunts that they pull are dangerous and it could end a life,” Paeper said.
While some have applauded the sheriff’s office for pursuing charges, others have been critical. Police were not made aware of the incident until 18 hours after it happened.
“How would they feel if that young man died or been in a burn unit down in Hennepin County, how blown out of proportion is it then,” Paeper said.
Paeper says after they get a better grasp on the fire investigation, they’ll look further into the underage drinking party.
If convicted, Tyler faces up to five years in prison.
Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.
Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.
WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.
As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”
According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.
According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”
FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.
Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.
Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.
Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.
New ballot measure guide to be mailed to North Dakota voters ahead of election
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