BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley is condemning the violent death of an 18-year-old struck by a man who said he drove his SUV into the victim after an alleged political argument.
Wrigley has also offered to help a county attorney prosecute the case.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Shannon Brandt told a 911 dispatcher that he struck Cayler Ellingson early Sunday because the teenager was threatening him and that the teen was part of a “Republican extremist group.”
Investigators say they have been unable to confirm Brandt’s claims. He has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death. The hit and run happened in McHenry, North Dakota.
Officials say a breath test Sunday showed Brandt’s blood alcohol level was above the legal limit to drive.
