Fort Thompson Man Found Guilty of Assaulting a Federal Officer

PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Patrick Wind a/k/a Patrick Azure, age 34, of Fort Thompson, South Dakota, of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 29, 2026.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of eight years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Wind was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.

The conviction stems from an assault that took place on May 14, 2025, in Lower Brule, South Dakota in the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. At trial, the evidence established that a Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officer responded to a call for service in Ft. Thompson, South Dakota, to remove Wind from a residence. The officer found Wind inside the residence and transported him to the jail in Lower Brule. At the jail, Wind became combative and physically assaulted the officer by kicking and headbutting him.

"Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer within the jurisdiction of this office can count on spending time in federal prison," said U.S. Attorney Parsons.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.