The aggravated assault trial of NDN Collective founder and president Nick Tilsen is scheduled to begin Jan. 26, 2026, after a judge denied three defense motions to dismiss the case.
Fourth Judicial Circuit Presiding Judge Michael Day ruled that prosecutors did not act vindictively, did not improperly destroy impeachment evidence when officers muted body cameras, and did not violate Tilsen’s right to a speedy prosecution. The motions were filed in 2024, with hearings held in June and August; Day issued his decisions on Dec. 15.
Tilsen is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and obstruction. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine for the assault charge, and up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine for obstruction.
The charges stem from a June 11, 2022 incident in Rapid City, where Tilsen allegedly pulled his truck into a parking spot and lurched toward an officer, stopping about 1.5 feet away. Prosecutors say the officer feared serious bodily injury.
Day also found no bad faith in officers muting their body cameras—an action allowed under department policy—and said the state had legitimate reasons for the delay in filing charges.
Tilsen’s trial comes roughly one month after NDN Collective won a federal discrimination lawsuit against a Rapid City hotel.
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