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Lakota Country Times: Fired tribal officer faces trial for tasering

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Former Oglala Sioux police officer Becky Sotherland is accused of tasering Jeff Eagle Bull at least 17 times. Still image from YouTube

Officer accused of assaulting Manderson man set to face trial
By Brandon Ecoffey
Lakota Country Times Editor

MANDERSON— Late last year, Rebecca M. Sotherland, a police officer formerly employed for the Oglala Sioux Tribe, was videotaped tasing a citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe 17 times while he laid unresponsive on the ground. Sotherland now finds herself under federal indictment and set to face trial next month.

On December 1, 2015, jurors in Rapid City will decide the former officer's fate. On August 15, 2014, onlookers caught the violent act on their cell phones as they shouted at Sotherland to leave her victim alone.

In the tape Sotherland is seen standing over the top of a clearly incapacitated 33-year-old Jeff Eagle Bull. Eagle Bull was already placed in handcuffs and was lying on the ground with metal prongs stuck to his body.

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Sotherland is heard shouting multiple orders to Eagle Bull while he laid helpless on the ground. The video shows Sotherland clearly tasing him for not obeying her orders despite the fact that she continues to fire the taser that is designed to shut down the physical capabilities of an individual.

Sotherland was indicted by a federal grand jury just days after the incident and charged with violating the constitutional rights of a man in her custody, by repeatedly using her Taser on Eagle Bull without justification. She is also charged with Deprivation of Rights under Color of Law and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.

If found guilty Sotherland faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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(Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com)