DCI: RCPD officer ‘faced a clear danger’ in Jan. 18 shooting

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - A South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation review of the Jan. 18 officer-involved shooting in Rapid City has ended, with the police officer being cleared.

In a release Thursday, Attorney General Marty Jackley stated that the review “indicates a Rapid City Police officer was justified in the shooting death of a man who pointed a gun at the officer and appeared to pull the trigger.”

You can read the entire DCI summary here.

“Video from the officer’s body-worn camera, along with other collected evidence, indicates that the officer verbally commanded the suspect to stop, and the suspect did not comply,” Jackley said. “Only when the suspect pointed a gun at the officer, did the officer fire their weapon.”

The shooting was around Surfwood Drive and Maple Street. Police were at an apartment complex looking for someone when they reportedly heard a woman scream. Thinking an assault had occurred, police then noticed Ira Julian Wright outside the apartment building. When they tried to talk to Wright he ran, discarding the backpack before going into another building.

Ira Julian Wright points a gun at Rapid City Police Officer No. 1 as Wright flees up a flight... — Ira Julian Wright points a gun at Rapid City Police Officer No. 1 as Wright flees up a flight of stairs. (From Rapid City Police Officer No. 1 body camera video).(Rapid City Police Department)

Inside the building, an officer used a Taser on Wright, but it was not effective. As Wright ran up a flight of stairs, he turned toward the officer, pointing a revolver. That is when the officer fired, hitting Wright who died at the scene. An autopsy on Wright showed he had been shot multiple times.