Law | National

Native Sun News Today: Widow blames police for lying about fatal shooting

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Widow despairs at Rapid City police lies of omission

By Kat Holmgren
Native Sun News Today Correspondent
nativesunnews.today

RAPID CITY - Mrs. H had been married to Tim Holmgren for nearly 28 years when they shot him. It was April 27, 2017, in Rapid City, South Dakota.

She could hear the sirens in the background when the Rapid City policeman called her on the phone. “Mrs. Holmgren, this is Officer D. Your husband had a weapon and shots were fired. I’m sorry to inform you that Mr. Holmgren is deceased.”

Whereupon Mrs. H. wailed into the phone, “Whhhhyyyyyy?” “Mr. Holmgren had a weapon and shots were fired.” Her son held her as she moaned, “No, no, no. . .” and disconnected the call. When she could breathe again, she called his sister. “They shot him, Cindy. The Police shot my baby. My Timmy is gone. They shot him! They shot Tim!”

It had begun ten years earlier when Tim had a mental breakdown. He drove off into the night and disappeared for three days, and to this day no one, not even Tim, knows where he went. There was one email that originated somewhere near Omaha. He ended up at his sister Cindy’s house in Denver. It was from there that he called Mrs. H. and said, “I think there’s something wrong with me.” And there was. Tim was diagnosed with Type I Bipolar disorder along with an Anxiety disorder. He had been self-medicating with alcohol and everyone just chalked up his unusual bad mood and behavior to stress.

Tim was a highly intelligent, highly driven man. Before his breakdown, he was the editor of an award winning newspaper, he worked as a graphic artist, and finally as the Director of PR and Marketing at Rapid City Regional Health. After his breakdown, he wrote four novels, more than 30 short stories and 100’s of poems.

Tim Holmgren, April 1964 – April 2017, was shot and killed by law enforcement in Rapid City, South Dakota. Photo courtesy Kat Homgren

Bipolar disorder can be treated with medication and therapy. With the careful administration of both of these, patient cooperation, and good self-care, a person with Type I Bipolar disorder can lead a perfectly “normal” life. Tim had complications. Other medical conditions interfered with his ability to take the proper medication, he developed tardive dyskinesia, there was a lack of good therapists who would take Medicare – whatever was lacking or needed, it took its toll on him.

Mrs. H. had left her husband at home while she checked into the WAVI shelter because she was concerned for her safety. Tim was suffering through a manic phase caused by his condition. He had never before been dangerous, and Mrs. H. had never been Tim’s condition and asking that they please do a welfare check and try to get him to speak some help. The police checked on him and returned a call to Mrs. H that he was fine, just tired.

On Tuesday, April 25, Mrs. H contacted the police again asking if there was anything she could do to get him some help. She was told that she would have to go down to the courthouse and file a report asking that he be declared a danger to himself. Of course a judge would have to make that decision, so it could take from 3 to 5 business days to get anything done.

In the meantime, Tim was becoming more manic as evidenced by his discussion with his stepson. On Wednesday, April 26, Mrs. H. again contacted the police. Again, she explained the situation, this time adding that Tim had been collecting knives and that she was afraid for him. The police agreed to do a welfare check. They later returned her call saying they thought he was fine. They had gone to see him and he would not let them in, which was his right as he had committed no crime.

#NativeLivesMatter

Native Americans are more likely to be killed by law enforcement than any other racial or ethnic group, according to the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice.

When she asked about the knives, the officer said, “A man has a right to collect anything that’s legal.” When she repeated that he had bi-polar disorder the response was, “Half the people we get called for are bi-polar.” They said there was nothing they could do because he hadn’t threatened anyone and didn’t seem to be a danger to himself.

On Thursday, April 27, 2017, Tim called a welfare check on himself, told the police he had a gun, he had a bomb and he was going to create “another San Bernadino” if the police didn’t give him exactly what he wanted. The problem was, nobody but Tim and Mrs. H. knew what Tim wanted. Mrs. H. had known for four days. Tim had been in a manic phase for more than a week. His behavior had become so unstable on Sunday the 23rd that Mrs. H. began to be afraid for him and of him.

On Monday, Mrs. H. left their apartment and checked into WAVI. She called the police and told them that her husband had bipolar disorder and that he was not taking his meds properly, he was acting strange and would they please go and do a welfare check. She made similar calls on Tuesday and Wednesday, each one more urgent than the last, each one met with the same cavalier attitude.

Fast forward to the aftermath of the shooting. This is where the second victim, the one after Tim Holmgren comes in – that is Mrs. H. She was met with callousness, lies of omission and guile in the form of “The Investigation.”

More than one family has experienced the police shooting of another family member. Mrs. H.’s experience may or may not be unique. But for all families, it is tragic. The surviving spouse, in this case, suffered not only the grief of losing her husband, but she suffered further from law enforcement members intent on proving that the shooting was justified, that they had followed due diligence, and that they were innocent of any wrongdoing.

On Thursday, April 27, the first call that Mrs. H. received from law enforcement asking if she and her husband owned any guns. She said, “No. Absolutely not. We believe in strict gun controls, and because of Tim’s illness, we have never owned one.” The next call she received was the call from Officer D. telling her that, Mr. Holmgren had a weapon, shots were fired, and he was deceased.

That was the first lie - by implication. Tim did not have a lethal weapon. He had an air pistol. That fact was not released to Mrs. H until three months later, after the investigation was over. She was led to believe that her husband had at some point lied to her and purchased a lethal weapon. This would have put them in danger, and gone against one of their fundamental beliefs – that handguns should be illegal (a point they had discussed and debated frequently). She thought that not only had he purchased a gun, but had fired it on innocent people. There were over 25 detectives in and out of that apartment, and no one ever thought to tell Mrs. H that he had used a C02 cartridge pellet gun.

Mrs. H. was in shock. She was asked if she wanted anything from the apartment. She visualized the man that she had loved half of her life lying in a pool of blood, shot, and said, “No.” When asked if there might be a note would she want to see it, she told them if there were any notes, they would be on his computer or iPad. She didn’t think there would be any hand written notes. Thus, the second lie by implication.

There was a note, hand written, addressed to his “Princess.” She was not told about it until the investigation was over. Three months later. Even then, they said it was states evidence and couldn’t be handed over until “everything was settled.”