Roger Watts, 34, of Mission, South Dakota, is behind bars after being sentenced to 126 months in federal prison for assaulting, resisting, and impeding a federal officer. The sentence, handed down March 7, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange, marks the latest chapter in a violent confrontation that left a tribal law enforcement officer injured and exposed a pattern of dangerous behavior.
The incident unfolded on January 20, 2017, in the North Antelope Community near Mission. Officers from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services were investigating a report that Watts had stolen property. When they questioned him at a home, Watts was told he was under arrest. That’s when he snapped — charging at an officer and launching a physical attack that triggered a violent struggle.
During the brawl, the officer sustained a knee injury, requiring medical attention. Watts, refusing to comply, had to be physically subdued. Federal prosecutors later proved the officer was acting within his official duties, elevating the crime to a federal offense. Watts was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 15, 2017, and ultimately convicted following a two-day jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota.
Watts now faces 126 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also slapped with a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Immediately after sentencing, he was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, disappearing into the federal prison system with no chance for early release.
“Tribal law enforcement officers, like all law enforcement officers, have a tough and often dangerous job,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “An attack on one of them is an attack on all of us and can never be tolerated. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this Defendant has been convicted of assaulting a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officer.”
The case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson. The outcome sends a hard message: assaulting a law enforcement officer — federal or tribal — carries steep consequences, especially for repeat offenders like Roger Watts.
Related Federal Cases
- Richard One Feather Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Officer · Texas
- Eagle Butte Man Guilty of Assaulting Federal Officer · South Dakota
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- Kevin White, 28, Charged in Federal Officer Assault · South Dakota
- Mitchell Man Charged in BIA Officer Assault · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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