BILLINGS – A Pryor woman today admitted to accosting and slapping a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer, who shot and injured the woman’s co-defendant after a vehicle chase at Lodge Grass, the court said. American lawyer Jesse Laslovich.
Darwyna Caylynn Catherine Bullshows, 25, pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer. Bullshows faces a maximum of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of probation.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine a sentence after considering US sentencing guidelines and other sentencing factors. Bullshows was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on March 14, 2021, BIA officers engaged in a vehicle pursuit of co-defendant, Darnell Not Afraid, at Lodge Grass, located on the Crow Indian Reservation. Not Afraid, driving a stolen truck, drove at high speed through residential neighborhoods and nearly hit various pedestrians. At some point during the chase, Bullshows, Not Afraid’s girlfriend at the time, got out of the truck. Not Afraid continued the chase, eventually stopping at a residence, getting out of the truck, and fleeing on foot. One of the officers left his vehicle and chased Not Afraid into the yard of the house. The officer pulled out his Taser. As the officer approached Not Afraid, Not Afraid turned to him, pulled up his shirt, and grabbed a gun from his belt. The officer then dropped his Taser, pulled out his service pistol and fired multiple shots at Not Afraid, hitting him at least once in the arm. Law enforcement recovered the gun from the ground and determined it was loaded.
The government further alleged that an angry crowd of people, many of whom resided at the home where the incident took place and watched the pursuit of the vehicle, accosted the officer. They shouted and insulted the officer and were angry at him for shooting Not Afraid. They also blocked the officer from attending Not Afraid.
An investigation revealed that Bullshows assaulted the officer and she admitted in an interview to slapping the officer three times.
Not Afraid has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial.
Assistant US Attorney Lori Harper Suek is prosecuting the case, which has been investigated by the FBI.
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