Eagle Butte Man Charged in Assault on Tribal Officers

Thomas James Shan Looking Horse, a 31-year-old man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, is facing federal charges after being indicted for assaulting federal officers during a December 2016 confrontation. The indictment, returned January 19, 2017, accuses Looking Horse of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with two tribal law enforcement officers carrying out their official duties.

The alleged incident occurred on December 19, 2016, when Looking Horse encountered a Police Sergeant and a Correctional Officer from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. According to the indictment, he violently resisted and obstructed the officers, triggering a federal investigation due to the officers’ status as federally supported law enforcement personnel operating on tribal land.

Looking Horse, also known as TJ. Shan Looking Horse, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 31, 2017, and entered a plea of not guilty. Despite his plea, the charges carry severe consequences: if convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $200 payment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The court may also impose restitution.

Federal prosecutors stress that the charges are allegations, and Looking Horse is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, given the seriousness of assaulting law enforcement, federal authorities moved swiftly to secure his detention. He has been remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.

The investigation was led by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, highlighting the growing collaboration between tribal and federal agencies in prosecuting violent crimes on Native lands. The case underscores the federal government’s commitment to protecting officers who operate in high-risk, under-resourced environments.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case. No trial date has been set. The indictment was handed down by a federal grand jury, and the case remains active in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota.

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