ND man admits manslaughter for hitting teen he thought was tied to GOP extremist group.

North Dakota Man Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter After Political Dispute

Shannon Brandt Runs Over 18-Year-Old Cayler Ellingson

A heated political argument turned deadly when Shannon Brandt hit 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson with his car, resulting in Ellingson’s death. Brandt pled guilty to manslaughter, and the charges were reduced from murder to manslaughter.

Controversy Surrounding the Case

The case quickly became controversial after an affidavit from police suggested that Brandt had run down Ellingson following a political disagreement, a claim that was later backtracked by investigators. Ellingson’s death was determined to be an accident, and not intentional according to investigators.

Brandt’s Claims

Brandt claimed in a 911 call that he had felt threatened by Ellingson, over the teen’s alleged connection to a “Republican extremist group,” and was urging others to attack Brandt after a political argument, according to the call.

“He was threatening me with something to have to do with — something with an extremist Republican group. And then he made a phone call. He made a phone call saying, ‘I thought he was Republican (background noise) or something. You’re going have to come here and handle him.’ I got scared to death. I didn’t know what to do,” a transcript of Brandt’s 911 call says.

Autopsy Report

An autopsy report said that Ellingson’s fatal “injuries weren’t caused from being struck by Shannon Brandt’s vehicle and were caused by being run over” once he was on the ground.

Brandt’s Sentencing

When sentenced, Brandt could face 10 years in prison. An additional charge of leaving the scene of the accident was also dropped before Brandt was set to be tried on May 30.

“Shannon has never denied responsibility for his part in this tragic accident,” said Mark Friese, Brandt’s lawyer. “A plea of guilty permits him to accept responsibility while limiting the stress and emotional toll for all involved.”

It’s a tragic reminder of how political disagreements can escalate and lead to devastating consequences.

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