Image courtesy of Bismarck Police Department
As reported by KFYR, Bismarck Police Department has released body camera footage of a March incident where an officer shot and killed 53-year-old Melanie Udell after she struck another officer with her vehicle during a traffic stop. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation and State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer both determined the shooting was justified. According to Police Chief Dave Draovitch, “Officer Anderson’s quick response likely prevented the loss of Officer James’ life” after Udell hit Officer James with her car. The footage, released in the interest of transparency, shows Officers Matthew James and Nathan Anderson attempting a traffic stop when Udell struck James with her vehicle. Officer Anderson then fired his weapon. Udell later died from her injuries at the hospital. Both officers were placed on administrative leave following the incident. Officer James requires knee surgery and faces approximately a year of recovery before returning to regular duty. Chief Draovitch indicated the department will review procedures to improve officer safety in similar situations.
Body camera footage provided by KFYR: Body Cam Video
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