SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says 30 of the 40 inmates involved in a May 27 “prison riot” at the Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls have ties to gangs.
“For me to charge rioting, I have to have three or more individuals with a concerted effort,” Jackley said Tuesday. “And that’s what I’ve charged. The timing of it, the nature of it, and the gang activity of it makes it safe to say it was fairly coordinated. It was specific, and I can’t go into much more detail at this point.”
Among the accused in the riot are two inmates serving time for deadly stabbings, two behind bars for fatal shootings and another for opening fire on a Pennington County Sheriff’s deputy.
The 24 different inmates faces charges ranging from simple assault to aggravated assault and rioting in the wake of the violence at the Jameson Annex on the campus of the South Dakota State Penitentiary.
“These were stabbings; these involved different degrees of injury. What I can state is that the 14 inmates at different levels had to be treated, and four of them had to go to the hospital for treatment,” Jackley said.
Jackley says the accused have ties to nine different gangs: The Boyz, Red Brotherhood, Gangster Disciples, Bloods, Crips, North Side Mafia Gang, Warlords, East River Skins and Vice Lords.
“This is probably more than I’m normally involved with in a particular investigation … as a prosecutor and as a defense lawyer, there is a gang prevalence in the penitentiary,” Jackley said. “I recognize that.”
