South Dakota police groups call on Ravnsborg to resign

SIOUX FALLS, SD – Three South Dakota law enforcement groups on Friday joined Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s call to resign, saying his involvement in a September accident that left one man dead had resulted in a lack of trust.

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem this week urged Ravnsborg to step down and Secretary of State for Public Security Craig Price spoke out in favor of an effort to remove Ravnsborg, the top enforcement official of state law.

The South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police, the South Dakota Association of Police Chiefs and the South Dakota Sheriffs Association released a joint statement on Friday claiming Ravnsborg’s involvement in the death of Joseph Boever had “caused a lack of confidence in his abilities. To effectively carry out his duties as law enforcement chief in South Dakota.”

The statement echoed Price’s comment on Thursday that, in the area of ​​law enforcement, “maintaining public trust is essential.”

A spokesperson for Ravnsborg, 44, said he had no plans to step down. Ravnsborg has been charged with three misdemeanors in the crash that killed the 55-year-old.

Ravnsborg, a Republican, first told authorities he believed he struck a deer or other large animal on his way home to Pierre after a Republican fundraiser late September 12. He said he searched the unlit area with a flashlight I didn’t realize he had killed a man until the next day, when he returned to the scene of the crash on US 14 near Highmore.

After an investigation that spanned five months, prosecutors charged him with reckless driving, driving out of his lane and operating a motor vehicle while on the phone.

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety released videos in which investigators said Boever’s glasses were found inside Ravnsborg’s car and “his face was in your windshield Jason “.

The South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police is a union representing all levels of law enforcement and local, county and state agencies. The Sheriffs Association comprises the 66 county sheriff offices and is a network of sheriffs across the state. The association of police chiefs consists of the majority of police chiefs and their staffs across the state.