2023-11-21 05:08:42
GRAND FORKS — A Fargo man was formally charged Monday, Nov. 20, for an
alleged armed carjacking and police pursuit
that occurred in Grand Forks and beyond over the weekend.
Ahmed Abdi Hassan, 20, is charged with robbery with a firearm, theft of $1,000 to $10,000, theft of a key, driving under suspension, and two counts of fleeing a peace officer.
If convicted of armed robbery, the most serious charge, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
According to court documents, Grand Forks police learned that the North Dakota Highway Patrol had initiated a pursuit with a black Pontiac Grand Prix early Saturday morning, Nov. 18, but had terminated the pursuit as the vehicle fled into the city.
Around 1:18 a.m., a Grand Forks patrol officer recognized the vehicle driving with its headlights off heading east at the intersection of 36th Avenue South and South 20th Street, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle accelerated rapidly with the officer in pursuit, and the vehicle continued to “drive recklessly at a high rate of speed” through town.
At one point, the driver lost control of the vehicle near the 900 block of 32nd Avenue South, going up the curb and into the grass. Later at the intersection of 24th Avenue South and South Washington Street, court documents say the vehicle began driving into oncoming traffic on Washington Street, at which point the officer terminated the pursuit.
The vehicle was last seen in the area of the Grand Cities Mall.
At 1:23 a.m., officers were dispatched to a South 17th Street residence for a report of a stolen vehicle. The victim told officers an unknown man — later identified as Hassan, documents say — approached him and said, “I have a gun, give me your phone, keys and let me get the (expletive) out of here.”
The victim told officers Hassan had one hand in his pocket, and while he did not see a firearm, he believed Hassan had one and feared for his life. He gave Hassan the keys to his black Mazda 6 and Hassan fled the area, documents say.
At about 1:56 a.m., a Grand Forks County sheriff’s deputy saw the suspected stolen vehicle driving south on 11th Street Northeast and initiated a pursuit. Documents say the driver continued to flee at a high rate of speed through Thompson.
Deputies attempted to use spikes to stop the vehicle at the intersection of North Dakota Highway 15 and 12th Street Northeast, but were unsuccessful, documents say. Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle four more times. The vehicle was successfully spiked by Cass County deputies just south of Argusville, and Hassan was taken into custody and identified.
According to documents, Hassan told a deputy he had warrants, to which the deputy responded that he did not have any warrants. Hassan reportedly replied, “So I ran for nothing?”
While at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center, an officer asked if the black car belonged to Hassan, to which Hassan allegedly responded, “Which one? There are two black cars.”
He is next scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing and arraignment on Dec. 27.
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