Rapid City man sentenced to two 15-year prison terms for violent incidents

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - A Rapid City man was sentenced earlier today to two 15-year prison terms for a series of violent incidents at Walmart and for threatening the life of a Rapid City police officer.

Thirty-year-old William Thunder Hawk’s charges come from two separate events in 2023.

In May, he broke into the Walmart on Lacrosse Street, stealing a bow and arrow and several bottles of propane. In June, he threatened a Walmart staff member with a knife and made numerous threats to kill a Rapid City Police officer and his family.

In November 2023, Thunder Hawk was convicted at trial of aggravated assault and threatening a law enforcement officer. He pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary in March 2024 for the Walmart break-in and theft.

At the sentencing hearing last week, Senior Deputy State’s Attorney Jason Thomas emphasized the severity of Thunder Hawk’s actions and said the threats to the police officer were the most violent and egregious he had encountered in his career. Thomas also highlighted the significant impact on the victims, noting the concern and fear experienced by the Walmart employees and the police officers involved.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KEVN. All rights reserved.