Sidney Lightning Fire, Assaulting a Federal Officer, South Dakota 2013

A Rapid City man has been handed a 13-month sentence for his role in a violent confrontation with federal law enforcement officers.

Sidney Lightning Fire, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on June 3, 2013, for assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal law enforcement officer.

The conviction stems from Lightning Fire’s resisting arrest and the assault of two Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Officers in July 2012.

Lightning Fire was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 16, 2012, and pled guilty to Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding a Federal Officer on March 13, 2013.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson.

As part of his sentence, Lightning Fire was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and serve two years of supervised release upon his release from custody.

Lightning Fire was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence immediately.

According to authorities, the violent confrontation that led to Lightning Fire’s conviction occurred on July 2012, when he resisted arrest and assaulted two law enforcement officers.

The case serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers on a daily basis and the importance of upholding the law and respecting the authority of those who serve and protect our communities.

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