RAPID CITY, S.D. – The man accused of fatally shooting a Minnehaha County sheriff’s deputy is now facing murder charges.
Prosecutors have amended the complaint against 39-year-old John Oetken, adding charges of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer. Oetken is accused of killing Deputy Katherine Frank and firing at other deputies who were attempting to serve a mental illness hold at a residence.
The updated complaint also includes four additional counts of aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer.
Meanwhile, Governor Larry Rhoden has ordered flags across South Dakota to be flown at half-staff Sunday and again Monday in honor of Deputy Frank, who was killed in the line of duty. Frank previously worked at the South Dakota State Penitentiary before joining the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office in June 2024.
A funeral service for Deputy Frank is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.
Governor Rhoden is asking South Dakotans to keep Deputy Frank’s family, friends, and fellow law enforcement officers in their thoughts and prayers.
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