RAPID CITY – A man has been charged with assault after stabbing a visitor at the Wounded Knee Memorial site in South Dakota.
According to federal prosecutors, Raymond Eagle Hawk, Jr., 18, of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, is accused of stabbing a 71-year-old man in the throat with a knife on June 12, 2025.
The victim, who is from Texas, had traveled to the Pine Ridge Reservation with his wife to visit the Wounded Knee Memorial site. Eagle Hawk had been panhandling at the cemetery parking lot and asked the victim for money.
When the victim refused to give him more money, Eagle Hawk stabbed him in the throat. The victim sustained a grievous injury and was transported to the Pine Ridge hospital before being flown to Monument Health Hospital in Rapid City for emergency surgery.
Eagle Hawk appeared in court on June 18, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the charge of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder. He was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing scheduled for June 27, 2025.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years in custody in a federal prison.
The charge is merely an accusation and Eagle Hawk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant United States Attorney Heather Knox is prosecuting the case.
Defendant’s Name: Raymond Eagle Hawk, Jr.
Criminal Charge: Assault with Intent to Commit Murder
City and State: Rapid City, South Dakota
Date: June 12, 2025
Sentence: Remanded to U.S. Marshals Service pending further hearings
Related Federal Cases
- Billy Bores a Hole, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, South Dakota 2013 · South Dakota
- Twyla Crow Ghost, Assault on Federal Officers, South Dakota 2024 · Texas
- Randy Running Horse, Assault on Healthcare Worker, South Dakota 2024 · South Dakota
- Heather DuBray, Assault on Tribal Officers, South Dakota 2023 · South Dakota
- Leon Eagle, Felony Child Abuse and Neglect, South Dakota 2014 · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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