Fargo, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The City of Fargo and the Fargo Police Department jointly announced today that Deputy Police Chief Todd Osmundson has been suspended one week for his actions during the George Floyd riot in downtown Fargo last Saturday night.
Fargo police spokeswoman Jessica Schindeldecker says that Osmundson could face further punishment for his actions as the investigation continues. Deputy Chief Osmundson is a 31 year veteran of the Fargo Police Department.
Here is the joint statement from Fargo Police and the City of Fargo:
This morning, Fargo Police Chief Dave Todd and Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney met with Deputy Chief Todd Osmundson to discuss last weekend’s events and the actions Deputy Chief Osmundson chose to undertake on his own without approval on Saturday evening.
Chief Todd has suspended Deputy Chief Osmundson for one week of unpaid leave, effective immediately.
Chief Todd stated, “This a serious matter and we are dealing with it quickly. Having a sworn person—whether they are an officer in uniform or a member of my command team acting on their own—operating independent of operations planning is unacceptable and dangerous. Deputy Chief Osmundson has accepted full ownership of his actions.”
Mayor Mahoney remarked, “The actions of Deputy Chief Osmundson were outside of protocol, creating a danger for himself and any officer who may have needed to come to his aid. Maintaining the public’s trust is critically important to our entire team.”
Osmundson is a 31-year employee of the Fargo Police Department.