A Rapid City man will spend more than five years in federal prison after assaulting tribal law enforcement officers during a vehicle pursuit on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.
Forty-one-year-old Brian Bear Heels was sentenced on June 30th to five years and five months in federal prison after pleading guilty to assaulting, resisting, and impeding a federal officer.
Federal prosecutors say the case stems from an incident on April 15th, 2025, when Bear Heels fled from Cheyenne River Sioux tribal law enforcement officers. During the pursuit, authorities say he intentionally rammed three patrol vehicles multiple times, causing significant damage.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Eric Schulte ordered Bear Heels to serve three years of supervised release, pay restitution, and a one-hundred-dollar special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bear Heels was indicted in August of 2025 and entered a guilty plea on March 11th of this year.
The investigation was conducted by Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuting the case.
Following sentencing, Bear Heels was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
