Central ND News

On December 15, 2016, the Morton County Sheriff's Department issued an arrest warrant for Michael "Rattler" Markus, of Pine Ridge, S.D. 

Markus was wanted on charges of criminal trespass related to his participation in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

The warrant stemmed from an incident on December 7, 2016, during which Markus and other demonstrators allegedly entered private property without permission. Law enforcement described the property as a construction site associated with the pipeline project. Markus was identified as a participant in protest activities that led to the charge. 

Markus was later arrested in connection with his involvement in the protests, reported the Water Protector Legal Collective. He faced additional charges stemming from a separate incident on October 27, 2016, when barricades were set on fire during a confrontation with law enforcement. In 2018, Markus accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to civil disorder. The agreement resulted in a sentence of 36 months in federal prison, with an additional term of supervised release.

Further details on the December 15, 2016, warrant for  Markus can be found on the official ND Response page.

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests of 2016 and 2017 aimed to halt the construction of the reported $3.8 billion pipeline and “drew thousands of people to camp out” in Morton County, the Associated Press reported.

The protests resulted in 761 arrests, according to MPR News. Charges ranged from trespassing to more severe offenses. A significant number of those arrested were from out of state.

California resident and actress Shailene Woodley was arrested in October 2016. Other figures, including actors Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio, participated in the protests but were not arrested.

Certain days of the protests resulted in dozens of arrests, such as February 1, 2017, when 76 people were arrested after Morton County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Rob Keller said a “rogue group of protesters” had trespassed on private property.

The State of North Dakota is currently suing the federal government to “recoup $38 million it claims it spent policing the protest camps,” Source NM reported.

Attorneys for North Dakota reportedly argued in court records that the protests “resulted from an illegal occupation on federal lands and led to ‘frequent outbreaks of illegal, dangerous, unsanitary, and life-threatening activity on federal, state and private property.’”

North Dakota Special Assistant Attorney General Paul Seby said in court that the aftermath of the protests “required a four-day cleanup of the camp and 600 bins to remove 9.8 million pounds of trash,” according to MPR News.

Former Morton County Commissioner Cody Schulz, who is now the director of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, said in court that, “beyond the drain on law enforcement, the protests caused a range of impacts on Morton County — everything from minor inconveniences like sluggish traffic to damage to private property,” Source NM reported.