LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY (SINCE 1884) First Name Last Name
Position
Area
Reason
Date
John
Pierce
City marshal
Mitchell
Trying to make arrest
4/9/1884
Billy
Wilson
Marshal
Rapid City
Trying to disarm three cowboys
11/6/1885
John
Armstrong
BIA Police Officer
Corson County
Apprehending Sitting Bull
12/16/1890
James
Little Eagle
BIA Sergeant
Corson County
Apprehending Sitting Bull
12/16/1890
David
Hawkman
BIA Police Officer
Corson County
Apprehending Sitting Bull
12/16/1890
Paul
Afraid-of-Soldiers
BIA Private
Corson County
Apprehending Sitting Bull
12/16/1890
Charles
Shave Head
BIA Sergeant
Corson County
Apprehending Sitting Bull
12/17/1890
Henry
Bull Head
BIA Lieutenant
Corson County
Apprehending Sitting Bull
12/19/1890
Clifford
Hawley
Policeman
Huron
Trying to break up fight between
9/7/1909
Daniel
Passage
Policeman
Andover
Trying to stop a holdup at depot
7/29/1916
James
Hawkes
Patrolman
Rapid City
Making an arrest
12/28/1916
Joseph
Daly
Patrolman
Aberdeen
Traffic accident
8/16/1919
Clarence
Berry
Night watchman
Leola
Killed while approaching husband in woman's clothing and wife in men's clothing
12/12/1921
Edward
Pike
Police captain
Sioux Falls
Making an arrest
9/23/1922
Ike
Fuller
Sheriff
Brown County
Escape attempt
7/1/1923
Hugh
McNamara
Sheriff
Hyde County
Making an arrest
4/30/1926
James
Boney
Deputy sheriff
Brule County
Making an arrest
9/6/1926
"Hooky Jack"
O'Leary
Town marshal
Rapid City
Traffic accident. Lost both hands, one eye, and hearing in 1876 mining accident.
11/6/1926
Charles
Bintliff
ATF agent
Redfield
Investigating bootlegger
5/13/1927
Charles
Halpin
U.S. Revenue Agent
Redfield
Investigating bootlegger
5/13/1927
Oscar
Hanson
ATF agent
-
Traffic accident
3/28/1928
Marshal's Service Deputy
-
Traffic accident
3/28/1928
Clarendon Miller
Sheriff
Brule County
Trying to stop gang fight at barn dance
9/6/1931
Arthur
Back
Policeman
DeSmet
Making an arrest
9/13/1932
George
Shocker
Marshal
Emery
Making nightly rounds
9/24/1935
George
Saville
Police captain
Sioux Falls
Making an arrest
10/6/1935
Eugene
Reily
S.D. Dept. of Corrections Warden
-
Escape attempt
3/6/1936
Milan
Miller
Policeman
Lead
Making an arrest
11/22/1938
Ole Alexander
Solberg
Sheriff
Brown County
Traffic accident. His wife was appointed to fill his term.
2/25/1939
Alf
Amundsen
Marshal
Alcester
Blood clot
9/10/1940
Melbourne Lewis
Sheriff
Grant County
Making an arrest
7/30/1941
Bernard
Benson
Highway Patrol Trooper
-
Traffic accident. Had been on the job for only 18 days.
9/17/1941
Alva
Burnett
Policeman
Pierre
Making an arrest
6/12/1944
Dave
Malcolm
Sheriff
Butte County
Conducting roadblock; killed by escaped murderer
1/24/1946
Thomas
Matthews
S.D. Division of Criminal Investigation agent
Butte County
Conducting roadblock; killed by escaped murderer
1/24/1946
Clyde
Rogers
Policeman
White Lake Making an arrest
Walter
Salzsiedler
Sheriff
Campbell County
Heart attack while trying to help two people in a car accident two miles south of Herreid
4/25/1949
Edward
Jaworski
S.D. Dept. of Corrections
-
Killed by inmate
9/6/1951
Albert
Hubsch
Policeman
Webster
Traffic accident
12/5/1954
Elmer
Simons
Policeman
Rapid City
Making an arrest
4/2/1955
Henry
Russell
SD Highway Patrol trooper
-
Traffic accident
11/19/1958
William
Stender
Policeman
Miller
Traffic accident
5/15/1963
George
Driscoll
SD Game, Fish and Parks officer
Drowned
4/26/1964
Virgil
Deyo
Deputy Police Chief
Huron
Making an arrest
Daniel
Wickard
Policeman
Rapid City
Drowned while trying to warn others of flood; 237 others killed
E.F.
Flanery
2/3/1948
11/29/1966
6/9/1972
James
Sawyer
Policeman
Custer
Making an arrest
6/13/1972
Jack
Coler
FBI Special Agent
-
Serving warrant
6/26/1975
Ronald
Williams
FBI Special Agent
-
Serving warrant
6/26/1975
Verlyn
Mettler
SD Highway Patrol trooper
-
Killed in his front yard by person Mettler had earlier arrested for DWI
3/9/1976
William
Bearshield
Police Chief
Gregory
Making arrest, stabbed to death
7/26/1976
Ronald
Brandt
SD GFP Officer
-
Traffic accident
12/20/1979
Steven
Hoffman
SD Highway Patrol trooper
-
Traffic accident
3/12/1980
Thomas
Callies
Police sergeant
Huron
Making an arrest
3/30/1982
Matthew
Schofield
Sheriff
Haakon County
Traffic accident
3/21/1985
Oren
Hindman
SD Highway Patrol trooper
-
Making arrest, stabbed to death
5/2/1985
Leslie
Hollers
Policeman
Rapid City
Traffic accident
9/16/1985
Russell
Anderson
SD DOC agent
Pierre
Traffic accident
3/3/1998
Kelmer
One Feature
Oglala Sioux Shannon Tribal Policeman County
Escape attempt
7/1/2000
William
Davis
Deputy sheriff
Moody County
Traffic accident
11/3/2003
John
Bechtold
Sheriff
Campbell County
Heart attack after administering CPR to an accident victim
8/4/2004
Chad
Mechels
Deputy Sheriff
Turner County
Killed while checking on well being 3/15/2009 of an individual
Merrill
Bruguier
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Policeman
Dewey County
Traffic accident
10/9/2010
Ronald
Johnson
Dept of Corrections
Sioux Falls
Escape Attempt
4/12/2011
James
McCandless
Officer
Rapid City
Investigating a call
8/2/2011
Nick
Armstrong
Officer
Rapid City
Investigating a call
8/7/2011
“Project Blue Light� is a nationwide recognition of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty . The effort began in 1989 in Philadelphia when Dolly Craig honored her son-in-law during the holiday season by placing a blue light in her window. Since 1989, states and municipalities all over the U.S. have joined the call for recognition and honor of police officers who serve the public.