Busy weekend for Grand Forks SWAT team, but not necessarily a trend, leader says

Mar. 29—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks regional SWAT team had an uncharacteristically busy weekend when members were called to serve a high-risk warrant on Friday, March 22, then again on Saturday, March 23, to negotiate with an armed barricaded suspect. According to the special operations group commander, the team was essential in both volatile scenarios.

"One of the big things that I would say was vital for both incidents this (past) weekend was having that armored vehicle, the BearCat," Lt. Travis Benson said. "It allows us to get into things closer and considerably decrease that likelihood of serious bodily injury."

It's incredibly uncommon for two SWAT dispatches to happen so closely together but, despite reaching more than half of 2023's dispatches in just the first three months of this year, Benson doesn't believe this necessarily indicates a trend.

"It's all random, depending on what's going on," he said. "Over the last 20 years, for sure, we've definitely trended downwards. It used to be used a lot more, but our response to different calls has changed."

So far this year, the SWAT team has been dispatched to four high-risk warrant services and one armed barricaded subject. In 2023, there were a total of eight high-risk warrant services and one large event, where the team served as security detail. In 2022, there were two high-risk warrant services and one armed barricade subject.

There is no exact criteria for when the SWAT team gets dispatched, Benson said. Rather, it's based on the totality of the circumstances, including factors like the presence of weapons, suspect criminal history and threats made to law enforcement.

"It's the (instances) where there's a high likelihood that somebody could get hurt or killed," he said. "We want to make sure that we've got the right people involved to decrease that likelihood."

SWAT team members, along with members of the crisis negotiation and bomb teams, do monthly training in topics like incident resolution, negotiation tactics and use of specialized equipment — including less-lethals, chemical munitions and armored vehicles.

These specialized weapons proved useful both Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23, Benson said.

On Friday, law enforcement attempted to arrest a Grand Forks man for alleged domestic violence crimes.

Jeffrey Jacob Simpson's alleged victim reported that he had a gun, and said that if she ever called the police, he would shoot them, according to the prosecution's court statements during Simpson's Monday, March 25, initial appearance.

This appeared to be true because, according to an affidavit in the case, it's exactly what happened.

As a result of the incident, in which Simpson allegedly fired a gun at law enforcement, he is facing four attempted murder charges

. As a matter of protocol, two officers were put on leave, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations is investigating the incident.

On Saturday, law enforcement went to a Larimore residence for a reported homicide committed by firearm.

The suspect allegedly refused to comply with commands, firing his weapon at the SWAT vehicle and reaching toward his pocket until he was ultimately shot — once with a traditional bullet, and once with a less-lethal round, according to Grand Forks County Sheriff Andy Schneider.

That incident — both the homicide and subsequent shooting — also is under BIA investigation.

During the Larimore standoff, the SWAT team used a chemical irritant to lure the suspect outside.

"There are all sorts of different tools," Benson said. "The big thing is, (SWAT team members) get to train on it more often and use it more often, so they're obviously much more proficient because of that."

The other three SWAT dispatches this year were for drug-related warrants, Benson said.

Two involved a Grand Forks father and son who were arrested earlier this month.

There are approximately 23 officers on the Grand Forks regional SWAT team — 12 from the GFPD, and three from the Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office. Every position, aside from paramedics, is held by a current, full-time law enforcement officer. Applying to join the SWAT team includes tests of physical fitness, shooting ability and understanding of tactical scenarios.

The regional SWAT team is composed of employees from the Grand Forks Police Department, Grand Forks Sheriff's Office, UND Police Department, East Grand Forks Police Department, Crookston Police Department and Polk County Sheriff's Office. The Norman County Sheriff's Department is in the process of being added to the team, Benson said.

The brief period in between these two recent incidents resulted in approximately one-third of the Grand Forks regional SWAT team members being put on a minimum three-day leave, in the interest of their mental health, WDAY's Matt Henson reported.

Some were taken off leave after administration determined they were ready to return; however, there weren't enough team members available. As a result, six members of the Red River Valley SWAT team — based in Fargo — were dispatched to the scene in Larimore, according to Henson.