Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal Officer

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on July 18, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Norman Blue Coat, age 33, was sentenced to 27 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Blue Coat was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 17, 2016.  He pled guilty on April 18, 2016.

The conviction stems from a November 11, 2015, incident when a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Police Officer drove alongside Blue Coat and a female that were arguing and asked them if all was okay.  Both said yes.  The female appeared to be crying.  The officer then asked Blue Coat if he had been drinking, and he denied it.  The officer told the couple to stop walking several times, but they ignored him.  When the officer told the couple to walk to his patrol car, Blue Coat became uncooperative.  The officer grabbed Blue Coat’s left arm and began escorting him to the patrol car.  Blue Coat used his arm to shrug off the officer and push away from him.  The officer again told him to walk to the patrol car.  Once the three of them were at the patrol car, the officer called for assistance.  He told Blue Coat he could smell alcohol on his breath and asked him to perform a PBT.  Blue Coat began arguing with the officer.  The officer told Blue Coat he was going to handcuff/arrest him, and Blue Coat took three to four steps back.  The officer grabbed hold of him, Blue Coat struggled, and the officer took him to the ground.  He continued to struggle, grabbing the officer’s shirt and pulling the officer as close to him as possible.  Blue Coat bit the officer on the right bicep.  Other officers had arrived and they turned Blue Coat onto his stomach and handcuffed him. 

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Blue Coat was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.