Pete Knight, 54, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, was found guilty of Assaulting a Federal Officer after a violent confrontation during a traffic stop in Ziebach County. The verdict, delivered February 7, 2018, by a federal jury in Pierre, marks a hard-fought win for federal prosecutors determined to hold violent offenders accountable.
The incident began May 8, 2017, when Sheriff Gary Cudmore responded to reports of a reckless driver. Clocking the vehicle at 95 mph, Cudmore initiated a traffic stop. The driver, a tribal member and handcuffed suspect, was placed in the back of the sheriff’s patrol car while awaiting Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Police. That’s when Knight arrived—with another man—and chaos erupted.
Knight claimed the vehicle belonged to him and demanded to speak with the detained man. Sheriff Cudmore granted limited access. But the moment the patrol door opened, Knight launched a brutal physical assault on the handcuffed, defenseless occupant. Cudmore intervened, pulling Knight back—only to be shoved violently in return. Knight repeatedly tried to breach the officer’s restraint, lunging at the restrained man in a scene of raw aggression.
Even after fleeing, Knight returned on horseback, reigniting the confrontation. Though prosecutors pursued charges for that second clash, the jury found him not guilty. The core conviction, however, sticks: assaulting a federal officer during the execution of his duties—a crime carrying a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus 2 years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons made the stakes clear: “Violence against our law enforcement officers will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller—a collaboration underscoring jurisdictional complexity on tribal land.
A presentence investigation has been ordered. Knight is scheduled to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on February 14, 2018. Sentencing is set for April 30, 2018. The message echoes through the Badlands: attack a badge, face the full weight of federal justice.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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