Three South Dakota Law Enforcement Associations Join Call for Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg to Resign
SIOUX FALLS, SD – Three South Dakota law enforcement groups joined Friday’s call for Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg to resign, saying his involvement in a September crash that killed one man has resulted in a lack of confidence.
Republican Gov. Kristi Noem this week urged Ravnsborg to resign, and Secretary of State for Public Security Craig Price spoke out in favor of an attempt to oust Ravnsborg, the state’s top law enforcement officer.
On Friday, the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police, the South Dakota Chiefs ‘of Police Association and the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association released a joint statement saying that Ravnsborg’s involvement in Joseph Boever’s death “has led to a lack of confidence in his capability. to effectively perform his duties as chief law enforcement officer in South Dakota. “
The statement on Thursday echoed Price’s comment that in law enforcement, “maintaining public confidence is critical.”
A spokesman for Ravnsborg, 44, said he has no plans to step down. Ravnsborg has been charged with three felonies in the crash that killed the 55-year-old man.
Ravnsborg, a Republican, initially told authorities he thought he had hit a deer or other large animal when he drove home from a Republican fundraiser to Pierre on Sept. 12. He said he searched the unlit area with a cell phone flashlight. I don’t realize he killed a man until the next day when he returned to the scene of the accident on US 14 near Highmore.
After an investigation that lasted more than five months, prosecutors charged him with careless driving, leaving his lane and driving a motor vehicle while on the phone.
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety has released videos of investigators saying Boever’s glasses were found in Ravnsborg’s car and that “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, state and government agencies. The Sheriffs Association includes all 66 sheriffs’ offices and is a network for sheriffs across the state. The Police Chiefs Association is made up of most police chiefs and their statewide command staff.