Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that two Pine Ridge, South Dakota, men convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury were sentenced on June 2, 2015, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court. The men were found guilty at the conclusion of four-day federal jury trial in Rapid City in February.
Wesley Running Shield, age 28, and Michael Alford, age 33, both of Pine Ridge, were each sentenced to 15 years in custody, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The convictions stem from Running Shield and Alford assaulting a male with a metal bar and shod feet on June 12, 2014, at Pine Ridge. The defendants utilized a metal bar to break the victim’s leg and hand and caused a large laceration on his head.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
Running Shield and Alford were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
