United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on June 13, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Lambert James Gunhammer, age 33, was sentenced to 22 months in custody, 3 years supervised release, a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $3,516.00 in restitution.
Gunhammer was indicted for two counts of Assaulting a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2015. He pled guilty on March 7, 2016.
In the early morning hours of Nov. 18, 2015, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services responded to a call for service at the Rosebud Casino, when the casino manager reported Gunhammer as a danger. When the officers approached Gunhammer, he told the officers he smoked marijuana prior to going to the casino. Gunhammer was placed under arrest for drug charges and transported to the Adult Correctional Facility (ACF) in Rosebud. Gunhammer was released from tribal custody several hours later; however, he remained in the lobby of the ACF and refused to leave the building. At approximately 1:00 p.m. that day, a law enforcement officer approached Gunhammer in an effort to try to get him to leave the ACF facility. Gunhammer eventually agreed to leave the building with the officer; however, once outside, he attempted to pull the officer back into the building. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and escorted to the booking area of the ACF facility, where he was placed in the observation cell in the booking area and continued to yell at correctional officers.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. that same day, a corrections officer attempted to enter the observation cell. Gunhammer complied with the officer's initial instructions to stand away from the door, but as the officer attempted to open the door, Gunhammer charged and forced his way through to the booking area. The officer was able to place his arms around Gunhammer, but he continued to struggle with the officer. A second corrections officer was at a nearby computer station and immediately responded to the assault. The struggle moved from the door of the observation cell to behind the computer desk in the booking area. Gunhammer was able to free his left arm and began to throw any item he could reach to the ground, including several computer monitors. The struggle caused the second officer to fall into a concrete barrier by the computer station, where he hit his upper neck against a corner of the concrete. The second officer remained conscious but was dazed. At one point, Gunhammer grabbed a computer monitor and threw it to the ground, and the monitor hit the second officer in the head. The first officer deployed pepper spray in Gunhammer's face, and he attempted to run to another part of the facility.
Additional correctional officers then responded to the attack. Approximately 30 seconds after the attack began, the officers were able to enter the area and intercept Gunhammer as he moved from the computer desk to the open portion of the intake area. Gunhammer struck a third officer in the face while trying to evade the officers, who were then able to subdue him.
This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Corrections Services and Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie G. Sanderson prosecuted the case.
Gunhammer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
