A North Dakota man barricaded himself inside Fort Union and threatened to burn it down, according to police.
Ian Patrick Stewart, 36, faces several charges related to the May 13 incident at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. According to an indictment, Stewart also faces charges related to threats made against former President Barack Obama, although the indictment states that occurred between April 20 and May 13.
Stewart was at the historic site at 8 a.m. when an employee arrived. KXNET reported that the Stewart drove the employee away while holding a fire poker.
Later, the employee saw Stewart inside Fort Union holding the donation box. The station reported that law enforcement surveilled the area and saw Stewart with firearms inside the building.
When officers contacted Stewart, he told them he planned to stay, had 30 days' worth of supplies, and planned to "burn" the fort and destroy the historical artifacts inside, according to the station. Eventually, officers were able to de-escalate the situation and arrest Stewart.
Stewart was indicted on several charges, including burglary, damage to federal property, terrorizing, and interstate threats. According to the indictment, Stewart also threatened three other people aside from former President Obama. The document states that those threats were made sometime between May 5 and May 13.
