WHITEWOOD — An assault on law enforcement officers has landed a Black Hills man in jail facing charges.
According to a news release from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, shortly before 10:20 a.m., on Wednesday, a deputy stopped to help a motorist change a flat tire around Mile Marker 25 on I-90.
During the interaction, a passenger in the vehicle gave the deputy a false name. When a second deputy arrived, he believed the passenger to be Ashton Tusing who was wanted for warrants from Lawrence County and Butte County.
Tusing was removed from the car at which time a struggled ensued and moved out onto the roadway. The deputies, along with a passing motorist, were able to place Tusing into handcuffs.
When other law enforcement officers arrived, Tusing was moved off the road and into a patrol car.
While doing so, an Officer from the Whitewood Police Deparment was struck in the head and a Trooper from the South Dakota Highway Patrol was sturck in the leg.
Traffic on the eastbound lanes of I-90 were blocked temporarily and later reopened.
Tusing was taken to the Lawrence County Jail.
He was arrested on a felony failure to appear warrant from Lawrence County, a Butte County warrant, and charges stemming from the Wednesday incident. The Wednesday charges include assaulting law enforcement officers, intentional damage to a patrol car, resisting arrest, false impersonation, and misdemeanor drug offenses.
