Body camera and surveillance footage released Tuesday, April 22, show a Bismarck police officer shot and killed a woman after she refused repeated commands to exit her vehicle, then struck another officer with her SUV while attempting to flee.
The news conference was held a day after Burleigh County State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer issued a statement following an investigation by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The statement indicated Lawyer’s office would not be filing any charges against Officer Nathan Anderson.
Anderson, a six-year veteran with the department, is identified as the officer who fired at Melanie Udell after she struck Officer Matthew James with her vehicle in a parking lot at approximately 12:15 p.m.
The strike sent James several feet over a snow bank and into a fence on the south side of property belonging to Missio Church in the 1100 block of South 12th Street.
Bismarck Police Chief Dave Draovitch said Anderson fired 11 rounds.
Video captured by a surveillance camera at the church shows James approaching Udell’s vehicle while Anderson speaks to a bystander who had apparently alerted law enforcement after observing Udell driving erratically. That witness, according to audio and video captured by Anderson’s body-worn camera, was concerned Udell might strike him or his son with her vehicle.
The identities of both Udell and the witness were concealed in the video shown during Tuesday’s news conference and later released to media outlets.
Video and audio from James’ body-worn camera shows him telling Udell he smells marijuana and asking if she has been smoking. She replies, “No,” and says others in the vehicle may have been. James then opens the driver’s side door and tells Udell to exit the vehicle. She responds, “No,” starts the Chevy SUV and reverses away from him.
“Turn off the car, turn off the car,” Anderson says.
