Deadwood police chief gets black eye in biker fight
Deadwood police chief gets black eye in biker fight
DEADWOOD, S.D. — The police chief in the Black Hills gambling town of Deadwood was taken to a hospital for stitches after responding to a brawl early Thursday morning that involved bikers.
Kelly Fuller got a cut above his left eye that required several stitches. He was treated at a hospital and released — and now sports a black eye.
Police say members of the Deadwood Knights, a support group for the Banditos motorcycle club, and some Banditos fought with other patrons at the Fairmont Hotel/Oyster Bay complex. The call came in at 1:39 a.m. The bikers were having a New Year’s Eve party.
“We arrived at the scene and several of the gang members retreated to a vacant part of the hotel, so several of us officers were up there doing a building search room by room,” Fuller told the Black Hills Pioneer.
“We brought one of the suspects out of the room down the hall attempting to take him into custody when he broke away and punched me in the face,” the chief said.
“The first officers on scene saw a large number of biker colors assaulting two other persons. Many of those suspects then ran when officers arrived and then several were found on the upper floors. The others were able to flee the scene before officers secured it,” Fuller said.
One Oyster Bay employee said the fight broke out quickly.
Five people, including Banditos and Deadwood Knights members, were arrested and taken to the Lawrence County Jail. The investigation continues.
One man faces a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and three counts of simple assault.
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol and Lead Police Department helped Deadwood police with the search for suspects.
“We needed to clear the upstairs and didn’t know how many were up there and if weapons were involved, so it was dangerous situation for officers to be in,” Fuller said.
