Kenel Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal Officer

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Kenel, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer, was sentenced on September 12, 2016, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.

Dylan Demery, age 23, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Demery was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 21, 2016.  He pled guilty on June 6, 2016.

The conviction stemmed from an incident which happened during the early morning hours of January 1, 2016, when an officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs was dispatched to Kenel, in response to a report of a drunk driver.

The officer went to the side of a residence in Kenel, and noticed a male exiting a Blazer.  The officer called out Demery’s name and ordered him to stop.  Demery immediately fled on foot, and the officer pursued.

When they reached the road, both the officer and Demery slipped and fell on the ice.  As the officer was attempting to rise, Demery grabbed the left shoulder of the officer’s jacket.  The officer grabbed onto Demery’s legs, and Demery began to strike the officer on the left side of his face, as well as a few more times as the officer attempted to regain his footing.  The officer then reached for his handcuffs in an attempt to restrain Demery.  As he was doing this, Demery struck the officer in the face again, knocking him to his knees. 

Multiple officers responded to the area to assist.  The officer sustained multiple injuries as a result of this assault, including an injured eye, and shoulder.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Standing Rock Agency.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.

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