South Dakota man faces eight-year prison sentence after jury convicts him of assaulting federal officer
A Fort Thompson resident was found guilty on October 29 after physically attacking a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer at a jail in Lower Brule.
By Mateo Thompson ·
A federal jury in Pierre has determined that a 34-year-old man from Fort Thompson committed a violent crime against a government law enforcement officer.
United States Attorney Ron Parsons confirmed the verdict on October 29, 2026. Patrick Wind, also known as Patrick Azure, was found guilty of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer after a two-day trial in the U.S. District Court for South Dakota. The incident occurred on May 14, 2025, within the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation.
Prosecutors presented evidence that a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer responded to a call in Fort Thompson to remove Wind from a residence. The officer located the defendant and transported him to the local jail in Lower Brule. During that transport, Wind became combative. The evidence showed he kicked and headbutted the officer while at the facility. A federal grand jury indicted Wind in August 2025 following an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Lower Brule Agency.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges handled the prosecution. The specific charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of eight years in custody. The defendant may also face a fine of up to $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wind is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A presentence investigation has been ordered to prepare for the final phase of the legal process. A specific date for sentencing has not yet been scheduled by the court.
