West River Eagle

Eagle Butte man sentenced for assault




Andrew High Bear, age 38 of Eagle Butte, was sentenced to five months in custody and two years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange. High Bear was convicted of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner


High Bear was first indicted for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and the assault charge by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2015. He pled guilty to the charges on November 30, 2015.


The incident took place on May 21, 2015 in Eagle Butte. The victim said something that angered High Bear. High Bear went to strike the victim as she lay on the bed. To shield herself, the victim rolled on her side and put her arms over her head. High Bear hit the victim at least twice on the back of the head so hard that each time she was hit, the victim saw a flash of light. Her head began to bleed. Because she was facing away from High Bear, the victim was unable to see if High Bear had an object or weapon in his hand while he was hitting her. When the victim attempted to flee, High Bear grabbed her arm to stop her, causing bruising on her upper right arm. The victim pulled away and went to a neighbor’s house to call for help. When the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Police responded and entered the apartment, they saw a sharp spoon lying on the ground with what appeared to be blood on it. The victim had a laceration to the back of her head.


This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.


High Bear was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.



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