Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Assault and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Brandishing a Firearm during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence was sentenced on December 16, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

William Hawk, Sr., age 31, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, forfeiture of 2 rifles, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 14, 2019.  He pled guilty on September 25, 2019.

The conviction stemmed from an incident on May 11, 2019, when Hawk entered a motel in Eagle Butte, with a rifle in his hands and another swung on his back.  Hawk spoke to the night clerk and demanded a key to a certain individual’s room.  At that time, the individual Hawk was referring to walked into the lobby and Hawk instructed him to walk outside to speak with him.  When the individual refused to do so unless he put the gun down, Hawk told the individual that if he did not go outside with Hawk, the individual would be executed in the lobby.  At that point, the rifle discharged, and the round struck the door to the registration office.   After the shot was fired, the individual ran out of the motel into the parking lot.  Hawk pursued him into the parking lot, and fired a shot in the individual’s direction.  The bullet struck a parked vehicle. The individual ran to a nearby residence and called 911.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.

Hawk was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.