Video released of traffic stop of Bismarck School Board member ‘obstructing’ officers

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Dash camera footage released Monday shows Bismarck School Board member Emily Eckroth cursing at police officers during a traffic stop Sept. 3. Eckroth pleaded guilty this month to a misdemeanor physical obstruction of a government function charge for the interaction.

The redacted video, released in three roughly 45-minute clips from the dash of both patrol cars and the rear seat of one patrol car, shows Burleigh County Sheriff’s Deputies pulling over Eckroth’s husband Ryan for a suspected traffic violation. It then shows deputies performing field sobriety tests on Ryan. The video shows Emily approaching officers, recording them with her cell phone. After being told by deputies multiple times to step back, Emily is heard swearing at officers and calling one an idiot.

Judge Douglas Bahr sentenced her to nearly a year of unsupervised probation.

The Bismarck School Board addressed the incident at a meeting Monday night.

“It’s hard to go through these discussions and a possible public reprimand of someone you serve with, but that is something we expect of ourselves through policy,” said School Board President Jon Lee.

The Bismarck School Board will have a response at the next board meeting, but no action by the board has been taken.

Emily Eckroth released a statement to Your News Leader earlier this month. She said: “I have accepted responsibility for my regrettable actions that occurred on September 3, 2022... I am not different than others who have made mistakes in their past and who strive to learn from those mistakes. I simply ask for understanding and respect of my privacy in this matter as I move forward.”

The video provided here is a shortened version of the interaction with curse words muted.