A Rapid City police officer fatally shot a man who had pointed a gun at him during a struggle Thursday night. No information has been released about the dead man.
Police Chief Don Hedrick said in a Facebook video that officers had encountered “an individual” in a residential area north of the city’s downtown and gave chase when he ran.
Chief Hedrick said the suspect displayed a gun and that “a struggle of some sort ensued.” The officer attempted to use a stun gun, but the man pointed a firearm at him and the officer fired – killing the man.
Hedrick said “It does not appear that the suspect was able to fire any rounds at the police officer, but definitely pointed a weapon at him.”
The Pennington County sheriff’s office took over the scene after the shooting under standard policy with the officer going on administrative leave.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation now has the case and processed the crime scene.
It will also conduct a forensic examination of all collected evidence, interview officers and witnesses, and review all officer-worn body cameras and video cameras from the area.
After the investigation is complete, the DCI will issue a case report and shooting summation to be reviewed by the Attorney General for a final determination on the officer’s action. The release of the summary is anticipated within 30 days.