A Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was shot in the line of duty Friday night has died, the sheriff’s office announced Monday.
Katherine Ann Frank, 26, was in critical condition since the shooting, which involved multiple officers at about 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, in a neighborhood near 41st Street and Ellis Road in southwest Sioux Falls.
Deputies were called to a home in the 2900 block of South Keyrell Drive at about 7 p.m. Friday. Three deputies arrived by 7:30 p.m., and about 30 minutes later shots were fired. Frank and the suspect were both struck in an exchange of gunfire, said county sheriff-elect Capt. Josh Phillips at a Saturday press conference.
Both were given medical aid at the scene and taken to different area hospitals.
The reason for the initial call has not been made public. The sheriff’s office said details remain limited out of respect for the family. Neighbors told the Argus Leader they heard three or four gunshots that night.
Brandon Oetken, 39, of Sioux Falls, was also shot in the exchange and taken to a hospital Friday. He was arrested and charged at the Saturday press conference by State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar with three counts of attempted murder on a law enforcement official and six counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement official.
Oetken’s condition remains unclear. As of Monday afternoon, a federal holiday, no new charges had been filed, and he had not been booked into the Minnehaha County Jail as of early Monday evening.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the officers’ use of force at the sheriff’s office’s request. Attorney General Marty Jackley said a final report is expected within 30 days. The Sioux Falls Police Department is assisting with the investigation.
The Minnehaha County Deputies Association has organized a fundraiser to support Frank’s family, and the sheriff’s office asked for prayers for her family and fellow deputies.
Frank had marked her second anniversary since graduating from the police academy just last month, The Dakota Scout reported. Her death is the first time in more than a century that a Sioux Falls-based law enforcement officer has died from gunfire in the line of duty, according to The Dakota Scout.
This article is based on reporting by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.
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