State investigators say several Sioux Falls police officers were justified in shooting and injuring a suspect during an arrest.
Attorney General Marty Jackley said it stems from a July 7 incident involving 24-year-old Deondre Black Hawk. He was wanted on multiple warrants and was a suspect in an assault days earlier where a woman was shot.
Jackley said when officers tried arresting Black Hawk, he ran off. During the chase, Black Hawk fired a gun at police. All three officers involved in the pursuit returned fire, striking Black Hawk several times.
Black Hawk was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. None of the officers were hurt. Jackley said the gun used by Black Hawk was found at the scene.
According to the attorney general's office, DCI investigators processed the crime scene, interviewed those involved and reviewed video of the incident. Drug tests showed Black Hawk had a blood alcohol content of .12 percent and tested positive for methamphetamine and Delta-9 THC. The full summary is available online.
“The suspect fired a handgun at the law enforcement officers, and there was a clear and present danger to the officers’ safety,” said Jackley. “The officers took action to protect themselves and others.”
Black Hawk faces 13 charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.
This is the fifth officer-involved shooting in South Dakota this year, Jackley said.