Jamestown Woman Punches Officer During Welfare Check, Faces Charges

A routine welfare check at an apartment on Thomas Avenue SE turned violent Wednesday morning when Emily Leona Sather, 21, opened the door and, without a word, lunged at the first responding officer and punched the officer in the face at least twice, according to Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger.

Officers were dispatched to 904 Thomas Ave. at approximately 10:58 a.m. Wednesday, March 11. When the officer knocked on the apartment door, Sather answered and immediately attacked. After a brief struggle, the officer drew a Taser, subdued Sather, and placed her in handcuffs, Edinger said.

Sather was transported to Jamestown Regional Medical Center by Jamestown Area Ambulance and later transferred to the North Dakota State Hospital. The officer was treated at JRMC for cuts and bruises and has since returned to duty. Backup officers from the Jamestown Police Department, the Stutsman County Sheriff's Office, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol also responded to the scene.

Edinger noted that Sather is well known to the department. Officers have been called to the same Thomas Avenue location 14 times since October 2025, making Wednesday's incident the latest in a sustained pattern of calls to that address.

Reports are being forwarded to the Stutsman County State's Attorney's Office for consideration of formal charges. No charging documents had been filed as of Wednesday.