Southwest Judicial District jury finds man guilty of 4 felonies for NYE shootout in Dickinson
Aug. 8—DICKINSON — A Southwest Judicial District jury convicted a 28-year-old of four felonies for his involvement in a New Year's Eve shootout at the Paragon Bowl in Dickinson.
Demetris Shaquille Haney, of Dickinson, was convicted Friday on charges of reckless endangerment, terrorizing and two counts of aggravated assault. All four convictions are class C felonies.
Stark County State's Attorney Amanda Engelstad, who was the lead prosecutor in the case, detailed why Haney was not convicted of the fifth felony charge — attempted murder.
"Essentially what that means is, you wouldn't be able to commit the greater offense without also committing the lesser included offenses. So instead of finding him guilty on (two counts of) attempted murder, they found him guilty on the lesser included offenses," she explained. "In North Dakota, one of the ways that an aggravated assault can be committed is if you fire a firearm or hurl a destructive device at another human being."
Because Haney used a firearm in the commission of the convicted crimes, he has been classified as a dangerous special offender, according to Engelstad. As the trial moves into the sentencing phase of the case, dangerous special offenders can face a sentence that includes double the maximum allowable sentence of five years. As such Haney could face up to 10 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of two years under North Dakota law.
The trial stems from an initial incident that occurred on January 1, 2022, outside the Paragon Bowling Alley. According to responding Dickinson Police officers, a call for service regarding reports of several gunshots around 12:29 a.m. in the 1100 block of West Villard Street initiated the response. Upon arrival, officers discovered expended shell casings at the scene and noted that one area business sustained damage from a bullet.
As the investigation spanned into the weekend, Dickinson Police investigators were able to identify the individuals involved in the shootout and secure a search warrant from the Southwest Judicial District. The Southwest Tactical Team deployed to a residence in the 200 block of G Street at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2022.
Supporting agencies aiding the Southwest Tactical Team included the Stark County Sheriff's Office, North Dakota Highway Patrol, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Southwest Narcotics Task Force, Dickinson Area Ambulance Service and Dickinson Fire Department.
Haney was arrested without further incident and booked at the Southwest Multi-County Correctional Center pending trial.
Engelstad said she was content with the outcome and believes the closure the case brings the community of Dickinson was always a key consideration.
"The verdicts were appropriate and I hope this sends a message that this kind of behavior is not going to be tolerated in Stark County," she said.
Addressing the other alleged involved persons, Engelstadt noted that Jamal Brown fled the jurisdiction and has continued to remain a fugitive at large.
Dontaye Lamar Dee Mayfield, 42, was apprehended for his involvement in the incident and pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. The charge of terrorizing was dismissed, and Mayfield was sentenced to three years of supervised probation.
Alexander Aseph, 33, has also apprehended and has been charged with terrorizing and reckless endangerment. Aseph remains in custody at the Southwest Multi-County Correctional Center awaiting trail.
Persons with information on the whereabouts of Brown, who is considered dangerous, should call the Dickinson Police Department at 701-456-7754, or leave a Badlands Crimestoppers tip at dickinsonpd.com/crimestoppers. All tips may remain anonymous.
