North Dakota House kills bill that would make names of officers involved in shootings private

BISMARCK — The names of police officers involved in shootings, as well as defendant addresses and phone numbers, will remain public in North Dakota.

The state House killed Senate Bill 2216 in a 3-89 vote on Monday, March 20. The bill would have made the addresses and phone numbers of defendants confidential during a trial or appeal.

The proposed legislation also would have kept the names of officers involved in "critical incidents" private until an internal investigation is completed. Critical incidents would cover police shootings or any on-duty officer incident involving a death or serious injury.

Proponents of the bill said it would help protect defendants from being bombarded with unwanted solicitation. It also would prevent officers involved in critical incidents from being harassed, supporters of the legislation said.

The North Dakota Newspaper Association opposed the bill, saying the public has a right to know about public employees performing public duties.

The Senate unanimously passed the bill in February.