Christopher Berentson, 40, Dies After Shooting Himself During Wilton Traffic Stop

Christopher Berentson, 40, of Minot, shot himself after being pulled over for a suspected DUI on U.S. Highway 83 just south of Wilton and later died while receiving care at a Bismarck hospital, officials said. The Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department identified Berentson and said the stop and the shooting occurred during a traffic enforcement contact Friday morning.

A Burleigh County deputy initiated the stop for possible impaired driving around 9:30 a.m. a couple hundred yards south of the Wilton city limits, about a quarter mile from the Cenex in town, the sheriff’s department said. The vehicle was a pickup truck, and Berentson was the driver and lone occupant. The driver complied with the deputy’s request to exit the vehicle, then produced a handgun and shot himself, the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department said.

More than half a dozen law enforcement vehicles responded to the scene, with additional county deputies, North Dakota Highway Patrol units and the Wilton Ambulance crew providing emergency response. Authorities attempted life-saving measures on scene before transporting Berentson to a Bismarck hospital; Sheriff Kelly Leben said he was transported in "extremely critical condition" and died while receiving care at the hospital.

The on-scene response included officers positioned with rifles drawn as they secured the area, and Highway Patrol personnel managed traffic control. "The highway's northbound lanes in that area were closed to traffic for about an hour, with traffic detoured onto state Highway 36, according to Highway Patrol Lt. Jenna Clawson Huibregtse. The lanes reopened around 10:30 a.m.," Lt. Clawson Huibregtse said about the closure and detour.

The Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department said it is continuing to investigate the circumstances of the traffic stop and the shooting. Officials have not released the deputy’s name, the make of the handgun, the specific Bismarck hospital where Berentson was treated, or any additional medical findings; those details are likely to be part of the ongoing inquiry.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. The Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department remains the point of contact for further information as the investigation proceeds.