West River Eagle

Detective Leaf honored by U.S Attorney’s Office and ATF




Cheyenne-River Law Enforcement Detective Russell Leaf with U.S. Attorney’s Office Supervisor Tim Maher and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller. (Photo by Ross DuBray)

Cheyenne-River Law Enforcement Detective Russell Leaf with U.S. Attorney’s Office Supervisor Tim Maher and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller. (Photo by Ross DuBray)

The room was small, but the respect shown in the compact conference room was enormous as Cheyenne-River Law Enforcement Detective Russell Leaf received two awards from two federal law enforcement agencies for Leaf’s involvement in helping solve the Mossman Church arson last summer.


The first award was presented to Detective Leaf by Tim Maher, Assistant U.S. Attorney.


Maher explained that church arsons are some of the hardest cases to solve. 


“These arsons are hard cases; they aren’t always solved. I have many of them I worked on that haven’t been solved,” said Maher. “Whether a church is burned in Alabama or on Cheyenne-River, no church deserves to be defiled.”


“We came up here today for the purpose of honoring Leaf in front of the tribal council; however, they weren’t in session today so we’ll do it in here,”  said Maher in front of a few fellow officers including the Cheyenne-River Chief of Police Joseph Wicks.


“Russell, I’ve learned a lot from you,” said Maher prior to presenting the award. “You carry yourself with a lot of dignity; you treat victims appropriately — and for all of the things that you do for victims of violent crime in Indian Country on a weekly and daily basis — thank you for that.  I see it first hand, and those victims need  you when you come to the Federal Building in Pierre. It makes me very happy to call myself a fellow South Dakotan with you.”


ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Frank Kelsey, out of Sioux Falls, presented Detective Leaf a Certificate of Appreciation from his office.


Kelsey mirrored Maher’s statement that arsons are extremely hard to prosecute. Kelsely said in all the years he has worked them, this was only the second he had seen solved.


“Church fires are always tough. No matter what race or creed, when something is sacred, it’s important,” said Kelsey.


Following the awards, Detective Leaf presented a star quilt to both Maher and Kelsey.


“When victims go to Pierre, they get the justice they deserve,” said Leaf.


Leaf also thanked the Dewey and Ziebach County Sheriff’s Offices for their work in helping the Cheyenne-River Law Enforcement Department.


“We need to send a message,” said Leaf, “that people who do bad things — we aren’t gonna let them get away with it.”


“I’ve been doing this for 32 years,” Leaf said, “not for these awards, they are nice, but for the people, for the victims.”


ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Frank Kelsey presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Detective Russell Leaf. (Photo by Ross DuBray)

ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Frank Kelsey presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Detective Russell Leaf. (Photo by Ross DuBray)

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