Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Jacob Michael James
Age : 21
Gender : Male
Race : Native American
Date : 08/09/2022
Location : Burger King parking lot, West 12th Street and South Williams Avenue
City : Sioux Falls 57104
County : Minnehaha
State : South Dakota
Agency : Sioux Falls Police Department; Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during traffic stop
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/09/2022, members of the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force initiated a traffic stop on a Pontiac Bonneville near the Burger King at West 12th Street and South Williams Avenue after investigators reported observing suspected drug activity involving the vehicle. As the vehicle stopped, several occupants exited and fled on foot. Jacob Michael James, 21, ran from the vehicle as officers pursued him.
According to the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, James produced a handgun while running and fired multiple shots during the encounter. A Sioux Falls Police Department detective and a Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office investigator returned fire. James was struck four times and died from his injuries. Investigators determined the two officers fired a total of 21 rounds, with the detective firing seven shots and the investigator firing fourteen.
On 08/26/2022, South Dakota Attorney General Mark Vargo concluded the officers' use of deadly force was legally justified and declined to file criminal charges. The Attorney General's report concluded the officers reasonably believed James presented an imminent threat after firing toward law enforcement during the foot pursuit.
James' family, members of the Lakota community, and supporters disputed the official account of the shooting. They organized multiple marches and rallies in Sioux Falls under the banner "Justice for Jacob James," challenged the state's interpretation of dashboard video evidence, and demanded release of additional records and identification of the officers involved. The officers' names remained withheld in the publicly released investigative materials.
Jacob James' obituary described him as an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe who loved music, basketball, drawing, and spending time with family. He was survived by his parents, siblings, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and extended family.
