On what began as an ordinary evening on March 20, 1996, in Watford City, North Dakota, the community was irrevocably shaken by an act of violence that claimed the life of one of its own. Senior Patrol Officer Keith Braddock, a 39-year-old White male and a respected 17-year veteran of the Watford City Police Department, responded to a disturbance call at the local American Legion Club.
The call would prove to be his last.
Upon entering the establishment, Officer Braddock was confronted by a man armed with two rifles. A brief exchange of words quickly escalated, and the armed individual, later identified as Grassy Butte rancher Robert Mead, Jr., opened fire, striking the officer. Despite being wounded, Braddock heroically returned fire, managing to shoot Mead in the leg. The gunman then fired several more rounds, fatally wounding Officer Braddock in the chest. It was later determined that a bullet struck his badge, causing the bullet and badge to fragment.
The grim situation evolved into a tense nine-hour standoff, as Mead held two elderly men hostage inside the club. He communicated with police using Officer Braddock's radio until the batteries died. The standoff finally came to an end in the early hours of the following morning when a family friend successfully convinced Mead to surrender. It was only after Mead was in custody that authorities could enter the building and confirm Officer Braddock's death. It was determined that he had bled to death approximately 30 minutes after being shot.
Robert Mead, Jr. was subsequently charged with murder, felonious restraint, and terrorizing. At his trial, he did not deny shooting Braddock but claimed it was in self-defense. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Officer Braddock, a U.S. Army veteran, was survived by his wife, son, and two daughters. His death left a profound and lasting impact on the close-knit community he had served and protected for nearly two decades.
