Army vet and former law enforcement officer help Bismarck officer protect himself from attack

An army veteran and former law enforcement officer sprang into action on Monday morning when a Bismarck police officer was attacked at the airport.

At around 11 a.m. Monday, an officer was asked to check on a man at the airport, according to Bismarck police.

They say the man, Christopher Fonseca, 34, was disturbing other passengers waiting in the security line.

The officer spoke with Fonseca and then went to the security office to investigate further, according to police. While the officer was in the security office, police said Fonseca walked away from his backpack, which he left at the main entrance.

The agent then went to collect Fonseca and asked him to leave the premises. It was then that police said Fonseca attacked the officer, punching him multiple times in the face and body.

The officer called for help as a bystander helped subdue Fonseca.

An affidavit identified this witness as Ron Elkins.

KX News contacted Elkins who said he was at the airport to drop off lunch for his wife who is employed there. It was then that he said he heard a commotion and saw the officer and a man fighting.

So Elkins, an Army veteran and former law enforcement officer himself, took the initiative.

“A lot of people were saying hero, hero, hero. I am not the hero. People in blue, in brown, EMS, ambulance, firefighters, even the guys over there keeping the streets clean. These are the heroes, these are the heroes,” Elkins said in an interview.

Elkins says others also came to help.

According to an affidavit, Fonseca was seen holding a box cutter in his hand at the time of the alleged attack and wearing brass knuckles rings on both hands. Airport personnel believed Fonseca had turned off circuit breakers in the computer operations building prior to his arrest.

The emergency generator kicked in and airport staff did not immediately know the cause of the power outage until they reviewed surveillance video.

The affidavit indicates that Fonseca also made comments about the Bismarck airport explosion after his arrest.

The officer was taken to hospital where he was treated for minor injuries which required stitches.

Fonseca is charged with assault on a peace officer, reckless endangerment, carrying a concealed weapon and criminal mischief.