No Charges Filed in July Shooting

The Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office has determined that two Grand Forks Police Department officers—Jordan Drees and Michael Ruit—were justified in the shooting of John Murphy III.

In a letter to Grand Forks Police Chief Mark Nelson, Deputy Grand Forks County States Attorney Carmell Mattison says Drees and Ruit were justified by the self-defense and defense of others provision of the laws of the State of North Dakota.

The letter goes on to say that the facts of the incident, to the applicable law, the evidence does not support the filing of any criminal charges against Drees or Ruit.