Tilsen case hightlights police conduct and delayed charges

RAPID CITY – The judge overseeing a case involving NDN Collective founder and CEO Nick Tilsen has taken the case under advisement and has requested finding of fact from each party and is expected to make a final decision in the coming months, according to a press release from NDN Collective.

The case has raised questions about police conduct and the circumstances surrounding the delayed filing of charges.

The hearing on August 1, 2025, was the third and final evidentiary hearing in the case against Tilsen in which the Rapid City Police Department (RCPD) charged Tilsen in June of 2023 with aggravated assault and obstruction of a police officer stemming from an incident a year previous in June of 2022.

On that day, after seeing police detaining an unhoused relative, Tilsen pulled his vehicle over so he could conduct a routine police watch. According to NDN Collective, the officers escalated the situation and publicly humiliated the relative, with “disturbing footage” captured on body cameras. Police then focused on Tilsen, accusing him of assaulting law enforcement despite no officer being harmed. Tilsen said he stayed in his vehicle because he felt unsafe being surrounded by multiple police cars. He communicated with officers, explaining he didn’t harm or intend to harm anyone. He was eventually allowed to leave after the officers got approval from an unknown source. No charges were filed until a year later, on June 30, 2023, when a complaint and arrest warrant were issued for Tilsen after the officer involved alleged that Tilsen had attempted to run him over during the 2022 incident.

Tilsen’s defense has claimed that the officer wasn’t touched, there was no physical harm caused to any officer in the incident and that there is video evident proving Tilsen’s claims. They also say the hearing made it clear that the Rapid City Police Department violates its own camera and audio policies.

“We are confident the judge will rule in Nick’s favor after having time to review the evidence and testimonies presented today,” said Wizipan Little Elk Garriott, NDN Collective President.

NDN Collective Vice President Gaby Strong noted that the courtroom was packed for the final hearing. “Today’s packed courtroom illustrates both the support for and significant of Nick’s leadership in Rapid City and beyond.”

Community elder Norma Rendon said that the case is much bigger than Nick or any one person. “It’s about the protecting the right to free speech and freedom of movement for all people.”

NDN Collective says Tilsen is being targeted by local law enforcement and that local prosecutors intentionally sought out Nicholas Glass, the police officer named in the case, and encouraged him to press charges. They say the charges have been inflated in an effort to criminalize Tilsen. The charges were also brought the same day that NDN Collective requested a permit for a rally and a march they were planning, March for Justice Rally, to spotlight police violence and murders of Native Americans in Rapid City. “This is a continuation of the American legacy of vilifying Indigenous people and the legal system targeting and over-criminalizing Indigenous movement leaders,” said NDN Collective in a statement on Action Network.

NDN Collective has sponsored a petition to collect enough signatures to request that the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s office to drop the charges against Tilsen. Their goal is to collect 25,600 signatures and have so far collected 15,781 signatures as of this writing.

As the community awaits the judge’s decision, NDN Collective remains grounded in its values and will continue to demand justice. “In the meantime, NDN Collective’s work to build power for Indigenous people continues,” said Wizipan Little Elk Garriott, NDN Collective President.

NDN Collective has been pushing for a federal investigation into the Rapid City Police Department for several years because of similar ongoing actions by law enforcement

Historically, South Dakota has disproportionately incarcerated Native Americans at a higher rate than their white counterparts and this legacy continues. The Vera Institute of Justice reports that Native Americans are jailed in South Dakota at rates far higher than their share of the general population. In South Dakota, Native Americans make up nine percent of the state population but account for forty-one percent of the prison population.

The disparity is further demonstrated by the fact that Native Americans are incarcerated at a rate ten times higher than that of white individuals between the ages of 15 and 64. This disparity is also evident in the types of offenses, as Native Americans receive jail sentences at a higher rate and probation sentences at a lower rate compared to white arrestees. South Dakota

In 2016, the American Civil Liberties Union found that the incarceration rate for Native Americans in South Dakota jails was 1,503 per 100,000, while the rate for white people was significantly lower at 162 per 100,000.

“It’s time for the South Dakota State Attorney’s Office to hold RCPD accountable and stop targeting organizers who are shedding light on community safety concerns,” said NDN Collective.

(Contact Marnie Cook at cookm8715@gmail.com)

The post Tilsen case hightlights police conduct and delayed charges first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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