The Jerauld County Sheriff’s office was among five law enforcement agencies taking part in the apprehension of suspects involved in a high speed chase early Saturday morning, September 10, throughout Beadle and Jerauld Counties.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, Huron Police Department attempted to stop a Toyota Yaris for driving erratically. The vehicle failed to yield to the police officer, resulting in the officer chasing after the suspect. The suspect was driving at speeds of at least 90 mph and passengers in the vehicle were throwing objects including floor mats, garbage, a floor jack and even the vehicle’s back seat out of the window at the officer during the pursuit.
Jerauld County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Krueger was on duty that morning and was made aware of the pursuit and began monitoring the situation.
An officer was able to successfully spike some of the Toyota’s tires on SD Highway 34, between 393rd and 392nd Avenue. The driver entered a corn field and crashed into a large pile of trees, with all suspects fleeing the vehicle.
Jerauld County Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Sheldon was called at approximately 3:30 a.m. Sheldon and Police Service Dog (PSD) Mack arrived on the scene at 4 a.m.
“The suspects were deep into the corn field and we didn’t know at the time how many had fled,” Sheldon explained. “I decided we were not going to make entry into the corn until daylight as it was a highly dangerous situation and we didn’t have enough information. All agencies on the scene kept perimeter and once the sun started to rise, Sanborn County utilized a drone to scan over the top of the field. At the same time they located the car with the drone, Deputy Krueger saw the car from his position about 50 yards away.”
Once the car was located, PSD handler Sheldon drove with Mack to that location.
“We decided we’d use Mack to clear the vehicle alongside a team of officers,” he stated. “Once that was cleared, I then gave commands for anyone in the field to ‘speak to me now or a canine would be deployed.’” Upon that announcement, a female suspect who had been laying down, hiding in the corn, appeared 10 yards from Sheldon's vehicle. Sheldon said she was uninjured from the accident and taken into custody. She reported to the officers on scene that two other male suspects were in the car with her and were somewhere in the corn field. Huron Police Department arrested the female suspect on outstanding warrants. Additional charges are pending an ongoing investigation.
Upon the news of two male suspects at large, law enforcement notified all homeowners and landowners in the area about the incident, advising them to lock their doors and bring children and pets inside.
Officers escorted a tow truck to the crash site, clearing a lane for the wrecker through the corn field.
Shortly after 4 p.m., a homeowner contacted Huron dispatch reporting a male who presented himself at their home that they didn’t recognize.
“They returned home and a heavily tattooed male came aroundthecornerastheyarrived on their property,” Sheldon explained. “Deputy Krueger and I, along with a Sanborn County Deputy, took him into custody without incident. He was also uninjured.”
Sheldon said that the suspect had been at the home for some time hiding in a barn on the property. He was arrested for outstanding South Dakota warrants as well as federal warrants and transferred to Beadle County Jail.
With one male suspect still unaccounted for, PSD Mack was then used to clear the home and outbuildings on the property but the suspect was not located.
On Monday, September 12, Sanborn County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting an unfamiliar male walking east toward Woonsocket on 230th street. Deputy Sheldon assisted the Sanborn County Deputy in speaking to the male in question. They discovered he was in the vehicle during the pursuit. He was transported to another location by the Sanborn County Deputy. Charges are pending and the investigation is ongoing.
'At this time we do not believe there are any unaccounted for persons and there is no danger to the public,” Sheldon said. “This is a good reminder to lock up homes, outbuildings and vehicles on your property. It’s also, a good reminder that if you see something that doesn’t seem right to you, say something. We are always wiling to come check it out.”
Agencies responding to the incident included Jerauld County Sheriff’s Office, Beadle County Sheriff’s Office, Sanborn County Sheriff’s Office, Huron Police Department and SD Highway Patrol were involved.