Mahnomen Co. Deputy Shoots, Injures Female Suspect After Pursuit
A Mahnomen County sheriff’s deputy shot and injured a female suspect driver after a pursuit ended early Sunday in Naytahwaush, a small town about 20 miles east of Mahnomen.
The sheriff’s office said in a brief media release that around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, March 13, the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on the driver.
A pursuit started and the vehicle was eventually stopped after the driver went into a ditch, the sheriff’s office said.
After the vehicle was stopped, “shots were fired” and the adult female was struck, apparently more than once, with the media release noting the suspect “received gunshot wounds.”
The suspect was flown to a Fargo hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Authorities said a firearm was recovered at the scene of the incident, but they did not detail if the female suspect is believed to have fired the weapon or if she displayed it.
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The sheriff’s office says that investigation is underway by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which investigates officer-involved shootings in the state. The suspect injured has not yet been identified.
On Tuesday, March 15, the BCA identified the suspect who was injured as Shequoya Deanne Basswood, 20, of Mahnomen. Basswood was still receiving treatment for gunshot injuries at a Fargo hospital as of Tuesday, the BCA said.
The sheriff’s deputy who discharged his firearm during the incident has also been identified. Deputy Dakota Czerny has been with the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office for one year and is on standard administrative leave.
On Tuesday, the BCA released more details on the circumstances of the incident:
A Mahnomen County sheriff’s deputy attempted to make a traffic stop for a speeding violation on eastbound Highway 200 in Mahnomen County at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. The vehicle fled and a pursuit began. At one point, the pursuing deputy’s vehicle slid into a ditch and Deputy Czerny picked up the pursuit. The pursuit ended when Deputy Czerny used the PIT maneuver and the fleeing vehicle went into the ditch at County Road 4 and Church Street in the Village of Naytahwaush.
Two of the six vehicle occupants, including the driver, fled the scene on foot. Deputy Czerny attempted to detain the four passengers who remained at the scene. As Deputy Czerny was detaining another passenger, Basswood produced a handgun. At one point shortly thereafter, Deputy Czerny discharged his firearm, striking Basswood.
A handgun was recovered from next to where she was shot. It is unclear at this point whether Basswood discharged her firearm.
Deputy Czerny provided medical aid at the scene after which Basswood was taken to Mahnomen Health Center in Mahnomen and then transported by helicopter to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo where she remains. No one else was injured during the incident.
One of the two males who fled on foot have been identified and interviewed, but the other has not been located or identified. The BCA is asking that person, or persons who can identify that person, to contact the BCA at 761-793-7000 so that the BCA can interview them.
The incident was captured on dash camera and the aftermath of the incident was captured on body camera.