Carrington man charged after allegedly threatening police chief in standoff

A Carrington man was jailed in Jamestown after allegedly charging at Police Chief Christopher Bittmann and threatening to kill him during a confrontation that drew multiple law-enforcement agencies to the Foster County seat.

Court documents identify the suspect as 51-year-old Cristoffer Alan Bertilson of Carrington. The confrontation began Wednesday, April 15, after police were called about a broken apartment window at apartment D16. Bertilson told police he broke the window because he believed his ex-girlfriend lived there.

Bittmann later went to Bertilson’s home at 1345 2nd St. N. to question him about a window-breaking incident two blocks away on April 2. According to court documents, Bertilson became agitated, used profanity and charged toward the chief from about 10 to 15 feet away. Bittmann deployed a taser, but it did not stop Bertilson.

The documents say Bertilson then threatened Bittmann, including saying, “You’re a dead man if you come in here.” Bertilson retreated into the house and later surrendered after a brief negotiation.

The standoff triggered help from the Foster County Sheriff’s Office, Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office, the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the James Valley Special Operations Team, also known as the James River SWAT team. Bertilson was taken to the Stutsman County Correctional Center in Jamestown and was expected to make his initial appearance in Southeast District Court on Thursday, April 16.

He faces three Class C felonies, threatening a public servant-threat to commit crime, preventing arrest-felony and terrorizing-adult victim, along with one Class B misdemeanor, refusal to halt. In North Dakota, a Class C felony carries a possible penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, while a Class B misdemeanor can bring up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.

The case carries added weight in Carrington, where Bittmann has led the police department since August 2022. Carrington had a population of 2,080 in the 2020 Census, and Foster County had 3,397 residents, numbers that underscore how quickly a neighborhood dispute can turn into a countywide law-enforcement operation in a small community.