United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault on a Federal Officer.
Jerry Jesse Bear Shield, Jr., age 34, was indicted on Sept. 22, 2014. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica Duffy on Sept. 26, 2014, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years’ supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment charges that on August 6, 2014, at Pine Ridge, Bear Shield assaulted an Oglala Sioux Tribe police officer who was attempting to arrest him.
The charge is merely an accusation and Bear Shield is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Bear Shield was released pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
