Austin Erickson’s interview with Fargo Police Captain Chris Helmick
Fargo, N.D. – A Fargo Police Captain said the department was aware former officer Brandon Rittenour had a DWI conviction in Minnesota when he was hired in January 2024 and says it’s possible other Fargo officers have criminal convictions.
Rittenour pleaded not guilty to actual physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated and DUI test refusal charges. He was arrested December 30th after Fargo officers received a report around 2:00 AM a vehicle crashed into three vehicles and a dumpster. He was off duty and no one was hurt.
“I, unfortunately, made decisions that impacted myself and the department in a negative light. Due to this I can no longer be an asset to the department or my fellow officers,” Rittenour wrote in his resignation letter that was effective January 14.
Rittenour pleaded guilty in Benton County, Minnesota to third degree DWI in 2015, served four days in jail, had to participate in chemical dependency evaluation and treatment, and was sentenced to six years of supervised probation.
Fargo Police Professional Accountability Unit Captain Chris Helmick says he was not involved in Rittenour’s hiring process, but adds Rittenour told the department about his DWI conviction during his interview. Helmick says Rittenour hadn’t had involvement in crime in the nine years since his arrest when the department hired him and Police Chief David Zibolski interviewed him and approved him being hired as he does with all officer candidates.
“He did go through a psych[ological] evaluation. He had to do a polygraph test. All of those things are done for our candidates. When we take a look at all of those pieces of information, we felt despite his previous arrest he was going to be a good candidate for our department,” Helmick says
Helmick says he can’t say definitively if there have been any police officer candidates with previous criminal convictions that he’s been a part of their hiring process, but says it’s possible.
“That might sound like I’m hiding something, but I’m not. I don’t have that information in front of me and I want to give you factual information,” Helmick said.
Helmick mentioned the North Dakota Peace Officer Standards and Training Board has requirements where a candidate convicted for a class B misdemeanor, which Helmick says a first offense DUI usually is, can’t be licensed within three years of their conviction.
“The department is not going to lower its standards just for the sake of filling spots and we’ve stood by that for several years. We have a standard for folks to meet and we expect them to meet that,” Helmick explained.
“One single incident may or may not rule out a candidate as many factors are considered to ensure any new officer is not a safety concern. I am confident in that process. I do believe it is possible for people to successfully complete treatment who have had prior issues with substance abuse as well. I know many people with prior incidents who are thriving today,” Fargo Deputy Mayor and City Commissioner Denise Kolpack said.
