BISMARCK, N.D. – On Monday, April 20, a shelter-in-place at the North Dakota State Capitol was lifted shortly before 6 p.m. following an incident that began several hours earlier when a man on the grounds threatened self-harm and was taken into custody without incident.
According to a press release from the North Dakota State Patrol, at approximately 2 p.m., an adult male later identified as Joseph Pratt from Bismarck, called 911 stating he intended to harm himself. Pratt was located on the south side of the Capitol grounds and had a firearm in his possession.
Authorities implemented the shelter-in-place at the Capitol after the call was received and they identified his location. Once the scene was secure, employees were allowed to exit the Capitol complex through designated safe exits as directed by law enforcement.
The shelter-in-place remained in effect until 5:55 p.m. after the incident ended safely with Pratt taken into custody. The State Patrol charged him with terrorizing, a class C felony.
The incident remains under investigation by the State Patrol. Assisting agencies in this incident included the Bismarck Police Department and Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office.
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
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