A savage assault on his ex-wife and a law enforcement officer has landed Ridgeview, South Dakota man, Arthur Butcher, a 7.5-year sentence in federal prison.
On May 29, 2023, Butcher, 37, brutally attacked his ex-wife at a residence on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. The assault was so severe that the victim suffered extensive bruising on her face and body, severe bruising around her neck, and lacerations to her forehead and neck.
When Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officer responded to the scene, Butcher resisted arrest, kicking a taser out of the officer’s hand and charging at him with a knife. The officer was forced to fire three shots, striking Butcher and causing him to drop the knife.
Butcher was indicted by a federal grand jury in July of 2023 and pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024. He was sentenced to 7.5 years in federal prison on each of the two counts: Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer.
The seven and a half years will be served concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release on each count, also to run concurrently. Butcher was ordered to pay $2,860 in restitution to his ex-wife and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute that mandates certain violent crimes in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen led the prosecution.
After the sentencing, Butcher was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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