Pursuit

On November 28^th at around 2:45 a.m., police observed a Buick passenger car travelling south on East Boulevard with no headlights on. As police attempted to stop the vehicle, it turned westbound onto Saint Joseph Street against the flow of traffic. The pursuit was terminated for safety reasons. A short time later, another officer observed the vehicle drive over the island median at the intersection of West Main Street and Jackson Boulevard. The Buick turned onto Mountain View Road and caught fire as it entered the parking lot at 730 Mountain View Road. After driving in several circles inside the parking lot, the vehicle exited the parking lot onto Jackson Boulevard. The Buick came to a stop in front of 711 Jackson Boulevard and two occupants and a dog exited the vehicle. Police pursued the male driver as he fled. Officers were able to take the driver to the ground. In the ensuing struggle, one officer was slashed in the hand by a knife the suspect was carrying. An officer deployed their Taser on the suspect, and police were able to take the suspect into custody. The driver was identified as 34-year-old James Richmond of Sioux Falls. Officers noted the smell of an alcoholic beverage coming from Richmond’s person. Ultimately, Richmond was placed under arrest for Aggravated Eluding, Reckless Driving, Resisting Arrest, Aggravated Assault on Law Enforcement, DUI, Wrong Way Driving, Driving Without Headlights, Driving Under Suspension, and a Warrant. The female occupant of the vehicle was also detained. She refused to identify herself, however she claimed ownership of the dog seen exiting the vehicle. A deputy of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office had picked up the dog and transported it to the Humane Society. A scan of the dog’s implanted chip revealed the dog’s owner to be 38-year-old Jennifer Collins of Mellette, SD. Her identity was confirmed and it was determined she had three existing warrants, She was placed under arrest for the Warrants and transported to the Pennington County Jail. The officer injured in the incident was treated by medical staff and will be okay.