FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 4, 2022
CONTACT: Stewart Huntington, 605-773-6878

PIERRE, S.D. -- South Dakota Attorney General Mark Vargo and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Friday released a summary of the non-fatal September 9, 2022, Sioux Falls Police Department officer involved shooting. The report found that a juvenile had pointed a weapon at law enforcement officers and that the officer’s subsequent use of lethal force was justified.

DCI investigators reviewed patrol vehicle video, officer worn body camera video and neighboring video surveillance camera video that corroborated statements from police officers. Evidence examined by the South Dakota Forensic Laboratory was also consistent with statements from police officers that there was clear and present danger in a tense, fluid environment.

“The Sioux Falls Police Department officers employed appropriate measures to deescalate a tense and quickly evolving situation with an armed individual who had stated an intention to inflict harm,” said Attorney General Mark Vargo. “When officers subsequently resorted to the use of lethal force it was justified.”

The Attorney General and the Division of Criminal Investigation would like to thank the Sioux Falls Police Department and the South Dakota Forensic Laboratory for their assistance and cooperation during the investigation.

The summary of the incident can be found here.

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