On March 2, 2026, at approximately 5:31 P.M., police were dispatched to an apartment at [ADDRESS REDACTED], St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, for a welfare check. The complainant, KF, was an employee of Child Protective Services (CPS). KF told police that she wanted some assistance with her investigation of the family. KF reported that the family living in the apartment had three CPS welfare check requests since January 2026. KF said the requests included information that the family has a loaded shotgun in the apartment and smokes narcotics in front of their three year old daughter, EB. Police went into the apartment building with KF and made contact with the mother, JAMI LU MERRELL – [DOB REDACTED], and the father, WADE BRANDON BASSATT – [DOB REDACTED]. They gave police consent to search the apartment.
Both told police that there were no narcotics in the apartment. In the living room, police observed an open purse with a plastic bag containing suspected narcotics, which was within reach of the child. When confronted about the suspected narcotics, MERRELL responded that she had not used that purse in weeks. When MERRELL was placed under arrest, she told police that she ate a rock of meth. Police located a live shotgun round in her pocket. Police also located eleven rounds of Remington shotgun ammunition in a tool bag under the TV in the living room, one shotgun shell in the bedroom dresser, a black powder revolver on the top shelf in the bedroom closet, a glass tray with suspected narcotics in the bedroom cabinet, and a glass pipe with white residue in the bedroom cabinet.
KF made arrangements for a temporary custody transfer of EB, who was present in the apartment. Presumptive testing on the substance recovered from the purse yielded a positive result for methamphetamine with a net weight of 19.01 grams. Presumptive testing on the substance on the glass tray yielded a positive result for methamphetamine with a net weight of.56 grams. BASSATT is ineligible to possess ammunition due to the following felony convictions for crimes of violence: Threats of Violence in Dakota County District Court File No. 19HA-CR-19-3093, Fifth Degree Drug Possession in Dakota County District Court File Nos. 19HA-CR-16-864 and 19HA-CR-10-2163, Domestic Assault in Dakota County District Court File No. 19HA-CR-12-4034, and Domestic Assault by Strangulation in Ramsey County District Court File No. ••-CR-••-••••. BASSATT has a prior conviction for Possession of Ammunition/Firearm in Dakota County District Court File No. 19HA-CR-17-1253. MERRELL is ineligible to possess ammunition due to felony convictions for Fifth Degree Drug Possession in Dakota County District Court File Nos. 19HA-CR-17-3251 and 19HA-CR-12-2147, and Washington County District Court File No. ••-CR-••-••••.
