Rapid City, S.D. –At 2:45 p.m. on June 5, a Rapid City Police officer was patrolling on East Mall Drive. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a westbound vehicle traveling 52 miles per hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone.
The driver continued several blocks before stopping at a red light at East Mall Drive and Lacrosse. The officer exited his patrol vehicle and approached the driver. When the traffic light turned green, the driver travelled through the intersection and continued for another block before coming to a stop.
The driver jumped out of the vehicle, and refused to follow officer commands. The officer drew his duty weapon for safety reasons, and the driver continued to be non-compliant. Additional officers arrived to assist, and the driver, Jim Shaw, age 65, was arrested for speeding, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, and obstructing police.
The actions of the driver escalated the incident from a routine traffic stop to a higher-risk stop, and upon initial review, it appears the officer followed proper police procedure. The case has now been forwarded to the Pennington County State’s Attorney Office.
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