PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The fatal shooting of a suburban Rapid City man by Pennington County sheriff’s deputies has been deemed to be a justified use of deadly force, according to South Dakota’s Division of Criminal Investigation.
The DCI on Thursday released a summary of its investigation into the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Ty Stilwell in Rapid Valley.
According to investigators, deputies were called to a domestic disturbance by a relative who said Stilwell was intoxicated and physically and verbally fighting with family members. When deputies arrived, they found Stilwell armed with a rifle.
Deputies said Stilwell refused commands to drop the weapon, yelled profanities, then raised and shouldered the gun in the direction of the person who had called 911. Stilwell was shot as a result, the DCI said.
The investigation and summary have been reviewed and deemed justified by Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar.
The Meade County Sheriff’s Office and South Dakota Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation.
