RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Rapid City man charged in a 2022 downtown bar shooting has accepted a plea deal, avoiding a murder trial that was set to begin Monday.
Timothy Huante was originally charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Dallas Quick Bear inside Teddy’s Sports Bar in February 2022. Instead, Huante pleaded guilty to accessory to murder. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed the murder charge.
Judge Matt Brown sentenced Huante to the maximum five years in prison. With credit for 1,650 days already served in custody, Huante has effectively completed the sentence.
The plea agreement sparked emotional reactions from Quick Bear’s family and friends, who expressed disappointment and anger in court, saying they felt justice was not served.
In a statement, Pennington County State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel said prosecutors have a responsibility to pursue only charges they believe can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Roetzel said changes in the available evidence led to a reassessment of the case and the charge the state believed it could successfully prosecute.
The case stems from the fatal shooting of Dallas Quick Bear at Teddy’s Sports Bar in downtown Rapid City more than four years ago.
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