Man in custody after incident

A Mandan man was in custody Wednesday after a two-hour standoff in downtown Jamestown, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

At least one business was evacuated Wednesday after Jeremy Lee Blum, 30, brandished a weapon and threatened himself with it near Martinizing Dry Cleaning and Gun & Reel Sports Inc.

The patrol stopped Blum around 11:35 a.m. at Interstate 94’s Bloom exit 262 for a traffic violation.

Blum was driving a maroon Ford Bronco north of Jamestown. Blum stopped the vehicle, but as the trooper approached, the Mandan man fled, the patrol said. He exited Interstate 94 at exit 258 onto U.S. Highway 281 where he headed south along Highway 281 and then came north along 20th Street Southwest, through the Holiday Park Village area. Blum returned to Highway 281 and headed north into downtown Jamestown.

The Stutsman County Sheriff’s Department and Jamestown Police Department pursued Blum, saying Blum drove at excessive speeds. For safety, police backed off from pursuing him, said Cpl. Justin Blinsky of the Jamestown Police Department.

Police would not release how fast Blum was driving because it may later be used as evidence, said Jamestown Police Chief Dave Donegan.

Blum stopped the vehicle at the 100 block of Second Avenue Southwest, where he fled on foot into an alley. Blum held a handgun to himself and made suicidal comments, police said.

Blinsky said Blum accidentally discharged the firearm, although no one was injured.

“Everyone’s main goal is to end it peacefully so no one gets injured,” Blinsky said.

Blum was taken into custody without incident around 1:30 p.m.

Blum has active warrants in Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and Hettinger County, N.D. He is facing charges in relation to this incident as well, the patrol said. Potential charges include driving under the influence, driving under suspension, reckless endangerment, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Stutsman County state’s attorney will review formal charges.

Blum is in custody at the Stutsman County Correctional Center.

The Bureau of Criminal Investigations as well as the Special Operations Team assisted.

Sun reporter Katie Ryan-Anderson can be reached at 701-952-8454 or by email at kryan-anderson@ jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, crime, standoff