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Date: November 17, 2016

Agency: Morton County Sheriff’s Department

Contact: Morton County PIO (701) 426-1587 or (701) 595-3596

Mandan, N.D. – During today’s illegal protest activities, protestors released personal information, including date of birth and home address, of a Bismarck Police Department officer. Protestors have also publicly identified several other Bismarck Police Department officers and a Morton County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The tactic, known as “doxing” has been used extensively by professional protest groups like “Anonymous” and aims to publically release personal details of targeted individuals, like police officers and elected officials.

“The law enforcement officials who have helped uphold the rule of law, protect the citizens of Morton and Burleigh Counties, and ensure the safety of legal protestors, have consistently operated with the utmost professionalism, often in the face of staggering aggression,” said Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier. “It is just unconscionable that some protestors would seek to target them and their families.”

Morton County elected officials and members of law enforcement involved in the ongoing operations related to the area protest activity have had personal information released and credit card accounts hacked.

“There is simply no possible reason for protestors to release personal information of our officers other than to facilitate tactics of harassment and intimidation,” said Bismarck Police Chief Dan Donlin. “This type of activity is not ‘peaceful’ by any means. By releasing officers’ personal information, especially home addresses, these protestors are targeting, not just law enforcement, but their families as well.”

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