Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Officers

Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on September 21, 2021, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.

Floyd Alex High Hawk, Jr., a/k/a Cactus, age 33, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

High Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 14, 2020.  He pled guilty on June 21, 2021.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on August 17, 2020, in Eagle Butte.  High Hawk was detained at a tribal jail when he assaulted two detention officers who were attempting to move him to a different cell.  High Hawk punched one detention officer in the face and wrestled with another, causing an injury to his knee.  Both detention officers were employed by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe pursuant to a contract between the tribe and the federal government.       

This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.

High Hawk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.