SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A Rapid City officer was justified in the deadly shooting of a man last month, the South Dakota Attorney General and DCI have ruled.
On January 18th, law enforcement officers were called to an apartment building — when police arrived they heard a woman scream. Officers spotted Ira Julian Wright outside the complex — police say he tried to run away when they approached.
Authorities released pictures from police body cameras of the incident.
up a flight of stairs. (From Rapid City Police Officer No. 1 body camera video). Photo from AG’s office.
Police body camera video shows an officer tried to use a taser on Wright before he ran up a flight of stairs. The report says Wright pointed a gun and an audible “click” noise could be heard.
That’s when an officer fired nine rounds toward Wright.
An autopsy performed on Wright showed he died from multiple gunshot wounds and had meth and marijuana in his system.
In 2022, various law enforcement agencies were involved in a total of 13 shootings that were investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigations.
This was the first officer-involved shooting in 2023.
