North Dakota man sentenced to five years for fatally running over teen due to suspected political extremism.
North Dakota Man Sentenced to Prison After Fatally Hitting Teenager
Authorities have sentenced a North Dakota man to 5 years in state prison after he tragically hit an 18-year-old with his car. The incident occurred following the man’s expression of concern about the teenager’s alleged connection to a “Republican extremist” group.
“Shannon, you took a piece of our family that’s not replaceable,” said Cayler Ellingson’s mother, Sheri. “When you chose to take Cayler’s life and happiness, you took ours too. You have caused our family endless pain, heartache, sleepless nights. Our days, months, and years will never be the same because of your selfishness.”
Shannon Brandt of Glenfield, North Dakota, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in May after fatally running over Cayler Ellingson with his 2003 Ford Explorer on September 18, 2022, in McHenry, North Dakota.
A state district court judge reportedly gave Brandt the sentencing with nearly a year of credit for time served under house arrest, including three years’ supervised probation and a yearlong suspension of his driver’s license. The maximum penalty for such charges is 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both, according to The Associated Press.
Controversy Surrounding the Case
The case quickly became controversial after an affidavit from police suggested that Brandt had run down Ellingson following a political disagreement, a claim investigators later backtracked on due to lack of evidence.
Foster County State Attorney Kara Brinster said Brandt had been drinking and arguing with Ellingson before the incident.
“He was threatening me with something to have to do with — something with an extremist Republican group. And then he made a phone call. He made a phone call saying, ‘I thought he was Republican (background noise) or something. You’re going have to come here and handle him.’ I got scared to death. I didn’t know what to do,” a transcript of Brandt’s 911 call says.
Brandt claimed that he accidentally hit the teen while trying to get away from him during a crowded event in McHenry.
An autopsy report revealed that Ellingson’s fatal injuries were not caused by being struck by Brandt’s vehicle but by being run over once he was on the ground.
Authorities initially charged Brandt with criminal vehicular homicide, but Forster County State’s Attorney Kara Brinster later reduced the charges to manslaughter, to which Brandt pleaded guilty on May 18.
Apology and Sentencing
Before the judge sentenced Brandt, he addressed the court and apologized to everyone impacted by his actions.
“I’m here to take responsibility for the role I played in this tragedy,” Brandt said. “I’m very sorry to the Ellingson family, my family, and anybody else that has been affected by my actions. I have always enjoyed seeing the Ellingsons and would never have intentionally caused harm to any of them.”
Defense attorney Mark Friese stated that Brandt is relieved to have finally been able to offer his apology and allow the Ellingson family to move forward. He also mentioned that false information exacerbated the situation and people used the tragedy to advance their political platforms.
Brandt reportedly was diagnosed with autism, which Foster County Judge Bradley Cruff acknowledged during the sentencing.
“You didn’t intentionally run him over,” Cruff said. “I acknowledge that. I understand what the experts in this case are saying about how your mind works. And you didn’t intentionally kill Cayler.”
“But he did die,” Cruff added. “And that’s a result of your alcohol consumption. You recklessly pushed Cayler to the ground with your SUV, you recklessly ran him over, and you recklessly killed him.”
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.
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