A former South Dakota law enforcement officer is behind bars following a standoff in Sioux Falls.
Thirty-five-year-old Kipp Stearns faces several charges, including rape.
Police spokesperson Sam Clemens said a juvenile victim reported a sexual assault Friday. Officer tried arresting Stearns at a home in western Sioux Falls Sunday night in connection to that assault, but he refused to come out.
Investigators believed Stearns may have been armed so a SWAT Team was called in. He was eventually taken into custody Monday morning.
Stearns was once a deputy with the Turner County Sheriff’s Office but lost his law enforcement certification in March of 2024. That stemmed over an illegal search and lying in an official report, according to the Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission.