A North Dakota man has been cleared of any potential charges stemming from a shooting last November, but the man who was shot could be heading to prison. 

The defensive gun use took place at an apartment complex in Fargo, North Dakota on November 10, 2024, when a man and his 12-year-old daughter were returning from a shopping trip. Another man, identified as Coyle Draeger, was standing outside the armed citizen's apartment and allegedly tried to stop the pair from walking through their front door. The father and daughter did get inside, but Draeger wasn't done with them.  

Police say Coyle Draeger then kicked in the door to the apartment and attempted to grab the 12-year-old girl. The girl and another woman inside the apartment fled to a bedroom and called 911.

A physical fight between the two men followed, ending with the resident shooting Coyle Draeger twice. The bullets grazed Coyle Draeger’s eye and bicep. At the time, police described his injuries as life-threatening, but he survived. 

“The person who was ultimately shot in this case was unlawfully trying to enter the shooter's home, and the shooter under North Dakota law had the right to defend himself and his family,” Selzer said.

Coyle Draeger has been formally charged with burglary and criminal trespass. An arrest warrant has been issued.

Due to the pending charges, Selzer could not provide further details on why Coyle Draeger confronted the man. Police reports indicate the man had intervened in a dispute involving Coyle Draeger and another person about two weeks before the shooting. Coyle Draeger reportedly admitted he was still upset that a stranger had gotten involved.

“We make sure that we are being very (careful) in our evaluation of cases, so sometimes it does take some time to make a decision,” Selzer said.

I can understand prosecutors and police doing their due diligence to determine who, exactly, was the victim and the aggressor, but this case appears to be pretty cut-and-dried, so why it took five months for the state attorney's office to officially clear the armed citizen is a bit of a mystery.. Draeger's accused of kicking in the door of an apartment and trying to snatch a 12-year-old girl. That alone was reason enough for the armed dad to use his firearm in defense of a family member, but it sounds like he first tried to deal with Draeger without using lethal force.  

Honestly, given what prosecutors described Draeger should count himself lucky that he's only facing charges of burglary and criminal trespass. I'd argue an attempted kidnapping charge would be appropriate as well, but it looks like that's not a criminal offense in the state, unlike a successful kidnapping. 

Draeger is still facing a Class B felony for the burglary charge, which is punishable by up to ten years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine. Whether or not that charge will survive any potential plea deal offered by prosecutors remains to be seen, but at least the armed citizen can breathe a little easier knowing that the Cass County State’s Attorney won't be going after him for protecting himself, his daughter, and the other folks who were allowed to be in the apartment when Draeger allegedly kicked in the front door almost five months ago.