A North Dakota man objected to the bail amount set after he was accused of killing a teenager because he did not want to see his life or house “go by the wayside.”
Shannon Brandt, was arrested Sunday morning after he reportedly admitted to running over 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson — whom he believed was “part of a Republican extremist group.”
Brandt has been charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident.
Video from a court hearing on Monday shows him appearing to have difficulty understanding the charges against him.
“I don’t understand the differences,” he is heard saying.
The judge set the bail amount at $50,000 for Brandt, which he objected to.
In the video, Brandt says, “I have a job, a life and a house and things I don’t want to see go by the wayside— family that are very important to me.”
Watch the video below:
Brandt had a tough time understanding the charges against him in the killing of 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson.
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) September 21, 2022
"I have a job, a life and a house and things I don't want to see go by the wayside—family that are very important to me," Brandt told a judge at his first court hearing. pic.twitter.com/UG9vc9PvTV
According to a court document, Brandt “stated that he struck the pedestrian because the pedestrian was threatening him. Brandt stated that the pedestrian called some people and Brandt was afraid they were coming to get him.”
“Brandt admitted to State Radio that he hit the pedestrian and that the pedestrian was part of a Republican extremist group,” it added.
The document also alleges he left the scene but returned and called 911.
A breathalyzer test revealed his blood-alcohol level was above the 0.08 legal limit.
Ellingson’s parents reportedly told police they knew Brandt, but were not sure if their son knew him.
Ellingson’s mother told law enforcement she was on her way to pick up her son when she received a call and was told “that ‘he’ or ‘they’ were chasing him.”
She was unable to reach him after the phone call.
Brandt was released from jail on Tuesday after he posted the $50,000 bond.
