STURGIS, S.D. – A suspect wanted for felony assault barricaded himself in a home in the Blucksberg subdivision Thursday, leading to a large law enforcement presence.
In a release, the Meade County Sheriff’s Office says on 10.17.2024, at approximately 10:45 am, the Meade County Sheriff’s Office was in the area of the 8100 block of S. Blucksberg Drive. Investigators were following up on an assault that occurred earlier in the morning. As the investigation progressed contact was made at the residence with the suspect, identified as Daniel O ’Crotty, 43 of Sturgis SD.
O’Crotty refused to come outside of the residence, and began warning law enforcement they needed to leave, and he was refusing to be taken to jail.
During hours of negotiations with O’Crotty it was learned he was likely armed with a handgun. Additionally, he made several threats about wanting to engage law enforcement in order to be shot.
Based on the significant threats, a request for assistance was made to the Rapid City Pennington County Special Response Team.
At approximately 3:13 pm, with the RCPD/PCSO SRT arriving in the driveway of the residence, O’Crotty surrendered peacefully.
O’Crotty was transported to the Meade County Jail. He has been charged with the following offenses:
- 22-18-1.1 Aggravated Assault, Domestic Violence
- 22-19-17 False Imprisonment
- 22-18-1 Simple Assault
- 22-30A-12 Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
“The assistance and cooperation between the agencies in western South Dakota is unparalleled. Our ultimate goal was the safe and peaceful resolution of this incident. With the help of the SRT, we met that goal today. I could not be more proud of the work done by our deputies, and everyone who responded and assisted with this significant call.” said Meade County Sheriff Pat West.
Of note, during this very tense period the Meade School District worked to ensure the safety of all the children who live in the Blucksberg neighborhood. Critical coordination between the school and the MCSO, kept kids from being dropped off in the area, and risking walking into the area of the incident.
“I know we may have inconvenienced several parents who had to go and get their kids picked up from school, but we will always error on the side of safety.” said Sheriff West. “I appreciate the patience of parents and students as we worked through this incident.”
The following agencies responded to the incident:
Pennington County Sheriffs Office
Meade School District
Sturgis Ambulance
Sturgis Police Department
South Dakota Highway Patrol
Rapid City Police Department
