Fatal officer-involved shooting following standoff, stabbing in Sioux Falls deemed justified

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The fatal officer-involved shooting in central Sioux Falls in October that followed a standoff and multi-victim stabbing has been deemed justified by the South Dakota Attorney General and Division of Criminal Investigation.

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg and the DCI released Friday their summary into the officer-involved shooting that left 52-year-old Elwood Joseph Dwyer, Jr. dead.

On October 28, 2021, Sioux Falls Police officers responded to a house at 440 South Garfield Avenue after two adults and one juvenile arrived at a hospital with multiple stab wounds.

According to the summary, officers began negotiations with Dwyer at approximately 8 a.m. At around 9:30 a.m. Dwyer exited the house with a knife and officers ordered him to drop the knife. When Dwyer refused to comply with the officers’ commands, he was shot with less-lethal rounds. The summary says the less-lethal rounds had little effect on Dwyer and that he then charged at officers. Two shots were fired by SWAT team members resulting in Dwyer’s death.

One of the victims, a 70-year-old man, died from his injuries on November 9.

Authorities say a domestic incident occurred sometime before the stabbings.