South Dakota
Family seeks justice after man killed in raid near Wagner, South Dakota
WAGNER, S.D. — Federal officers used pepper spray and shot and killed a young man with a criminal history moments after he livestreamed himself brushing his teeth in the basement of a tribal housing unit on the Yankton Sioux Reservation.
Zander Zephier, 23, died Nov. 27 just north of this southeast South Dakota town, about 40 minutes after the U.S. Marshals Service arrived to arrest him on outstanding warrants.
What is not clear from the live video feed and additional security footage outside the house is why marshals used force to apprehend Zephier, especially when his wheelchair-bound, 90-year-old great-grandmother was still in the house.
Federal officials haven’t responded to inquiries about the timing of the operation and what circumstances led to Zephier being shot and killed.
A retired chief inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service raised questions about the use of pepper spray and the decision to enter the house without more attempts at negotiation, possibly involving tribal police.
“Tactically, it gives the impression of deputy marshals operating in the wild, wild West,” said Jason Wojdylo, who worked for the Marshals Service for nearly 25 years and now lives in Tampa, Florida.
“If the fugitive is holed up in the house, our procedures were always to back out, set up a perimeter and contain the fugitive in the residence, not just lob munitions into the house.”
The U.S. Marshals Service, an enforcement arm of the federal judiciary, is primarily responsible for locating and arresting federal suspects and carrying out fugitive operations.
Based on text messages from neighbors and interviews with family members, the law enforcement team arrived at the residence at 8:37 a.m. the day before Thanksgiving and began lobbing gas grenades into the basement at 9:11 a.m.
Shots were fired five minutes later, after at least one deputy marshal entered the house. At 9:46 a.m., Zephier was pronounced dead at Community Memorial Hospital in Wagner.
Zephier’s great-grandmother was on the main floor of the residence when the OC (oleoresin capsicum) gas grenades were tossed into the basement to render “an intense respiratory effect to an non-compliant subject,” according to product materials.
The sound of canisters crashing into the basement through windows is heard on a livestreamed video that Zephier made of himself that morning.
Much of the law enforcement activity and conversation outside the house was also captured on motion-activated security footage that was obtained and analyzed, shaping a basic timeline of events.
(Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch)
In the livestreamed video, Zephier brushes his teeth as officers outside call for him to give himself up. The sound of breaking glass is heard, after which Zephier says “Oh s—!” and eventually begins coughing and holding a rag to his nose and mouth.
“Come out with your hands up, Zander!” an officer calls out in the video. “We have all day. I have 10 more of these (gas grenades).”
Minutes later, at least one deputy marshal enters the front door with a protective shield, gas mask and firearm. The remaining officers complain about how long it’s taking the family to get Zephier’s great-grandmother, Conceta, out of the house.
Then one of the deputy marshals in the driveway says, “Shots fired!” to a fellow officer. The other officer replies, “Good guys or bad guys?”
“We’ve got to get him out of there,” an officer says later.
Video footage shows Zephier being wheeled down the driveway on a gurney, shirtless and in jeans with bandages on his chest.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital by Charles Mix County coroner Chad Peters, who told said he transported the body to Sioux Falls for an autopsy to be performed by forensic pathologist and Minnehaha County medical examiner Kenneth Snell.
Zane Zephier, a University of South Dakota employee and Zander’s older brother, said his family wants to see the autopsy report to determine how many times Zander was shot and the location of the bullet wounds.
Officers discussed body cams
The Zephier family does not dispute Zander’s lengthy criminal record and fugitive status.
At the time of his death, he was considered an escaped prisoner from Charles Mix County Jail in Lake Andes because he was granted furlough in July to attend a family funeral and never returned.
Zander was also on the federal sex offender registry after pleading guilty in 2023 to abusive sexual contact with a minor, for which he was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
Despite his checkered past, family members are calling for an independent investigation into the 23-year-old’s death. They said they don’t trust law enforcement to conduct an impartial inquiry, especially when it comes to operations on tribal land.
(Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch)
The security camera footage reviewed by News Watch shows the following:
- A deputy marshal approaches the front door of the house, hears something over his radio and then appears to say, “Shoot him.” Faint shots can be heard from the house in the video.
- A deputy marshal emerges from the house and says “Little spicy down there!” to another officer in the driveway, likely referring to pepper spray. “Who was involved?” the other officer asks, to which the deputy marshal responds, “Me.” “Are you all good?” he is asked. “Yeah, I’m good,” he says.
- Moments later, the deputy marshal involved in the shooting says, “Are you still live?” to another officer in the driveway. He then points to the man’s body camera and repeats the question.
News Watch has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the Marshals Service through the Department of Justice to obtain body cam footage from the operation.
U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell, the chief federal law enforcement officer in South Dakota, did not respond to an interview request for this story.
— This story first appeared on southdakotanewswatch.org.
South Dakota knows how to slow down. Hot Springs runs an 87-degree natural mineral pool that has drawn visitors since 1890. Spearfish anchors itself with a working fish hatchery dating back to 1896. Mitchell rebuilds its Corn Palace exterior every year out of actual corn. These are six of the state’s most relaxing small towns.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen sits in the James River valley of northeastern South Dakota, known locally for being the closest thing the state has to an Oz theme park. Storybook Land, a free-admission public park on the north side of the city, is built around L. Frank Baum’s connection to the area. Baum lived and published in Aberdeen in the 1880s, and the park features a full Wizard of Oz land with a yellow brick road, the Emerald City, and Dorothy’s House. The same park complex includes a castle, fairy-tale attractions, and a small petting zoo.
Downtown, the Hagerty & Lloyd Historic District holds some of Aberdeen’s oldest homes and buildings, including the Margaret and Maurice Lamont House, a Tudor Revival. Richmond Lake Recreation Area, about 10 miles northwest of town, adds hiking, biking, and camping on a reservoir that is the local summer anchor.
Hot Springs
Relaxation is built into Hot Springs. You can soak in the warm natural waters of the Evans Plunge Mineral Springs, which have drawn visitors for over a century. Established in 1890, the spring-fed waters naturally hold a year-round 87-degree temperature. In addition to the thermal springs at Evans Plunge, you have hot tubs, steam rooms, slides, and more.
Beyond the soak, the Mammoth Site is an active paleontological dig featuring remains of Ice Age giants. Consider booking a stay at the historic Red Rock River Resort Hotel & Spa, a sandstone building constructed in 1891. Family-owned and located downtown, the hotel offers quality care and a well-preserved interior. It’s within walking distance of Evans Plunge and other hot spring locations.
Lead
A close neighbor to the busier Deadwood, Lead is a town every bit as historic and far more relaxing. It’s an old mining town at its core, with several modern amenities along its historic Main Street. The Black Hills Mining Museum showcases the area’s gold rush, while the Homestake Opera House, which hosts year-round tours, concerts, dances, and educational events, is a century-old building that once held a bowling alley, billiards hall, and more.
For families, the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center takes a deep dive into the region’s history, its people, and the ongoing scientific research conducted in its underground laboratories. Lead is the right town for South Dakota’s Wild West history without the commercial trappings.
Spearfish
On the northern edge of the Black Hills, Spearfish sits at the mouth of Spearfish Canyon, a 19-mile limestone gorge cut by Spearfish Creek that drops several notable waterfalls along its length. The Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway follows the canyon floor, past Bridal Veil Falls and Roughlock Falls, and provides one of the most reliably beautiful and uncrowded drives in the state. The D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, established in 1896 and now run as a historic site, anchors the town’s history with restored buildings, raceway ponds full of visible trout, and the Von Bayer Museum of Fish Culture.
Downtown Spearfish has a walkable core along Main Street with local restaurants including Killian’s Food and Drink and Lucky’s 13 Pub. For shorter outings, Spearfish City Park features the hatchery at one end, a sculpture walk along the creek, and shaded picnic grounds. Combined with its easy access to Deadwood, Lead, and the rest of the northern Black Hills, Spearfish offers a strong base for anyone wanting to relax without giving up access to outdoor activities.
Custer
Custer is the gateway to Custer State Park, a 71,000-acre preserve in the southern Black Hills that holds one of the largest publicly owned bison herds in the country, roughly 1,300 head, along with elk, pronghorn, and mule deer. The Wildlife Loop Road runs 18 miles through open grassland and mixed pine, with frequent wildlife sightings. Jewel Cave National Monument, 15 miles west of town, has more than 215 mapped miles of passages, ranking it among the longest cave systems in the world.
Downtown Custer itself is compact, with Sage Creek Grille serving elk-stuffed mushrooms and other regional dishes; it has been a fixture on Mount Rushmore Road for two decades. The Crazy Horse Memorial, still under construction since 1948, sits 15 miles north on Highway 385. For outdoor activity, Custer is the closest town to both the 109-mile Mickelson rail-trail and the trailhead for Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota at 7,242 feet.
Mitchell
Mitchell is home to the Corn Palace, a civic auditorium on Main Street whose exterior is redesigned every year out of actual corn, grain, and native grasses by a rotating group of local artists. The original structure dates to 1892, with the current building completed in 1921. New murals go up each summer. The building hosts high school basketball, concerts, and the annual Corn Palace Festival in late August. Admission is free year-round.
Woolworth’s Caramel Apples, next door, has been making the same recipe since the 1950s. The Dakota Discovery Museum a few blocks away covers regional history with a restored 1886 one-room schoolhouse, 1900 farmhouse, and 1909 Italianate home, plus a collection of Native American art and early 20th-century prairie paintings by Oscar Howe and Harvey Dunn.
Visit Relaxing South Dakota Today
These six towns split fairly cleanly between two South Dakotas: the prairie side, Aberdeen and Mitchell, and the Black Hills side, Hot Springs, Lead, Spearfish, and Custer. The prairie towns are anchored by one or two strong local institutions and a quieter pace. The Black Hills towns are anchored by the landscape itself. Either side rewards a weekend, and together they give you a fuller picture of the state than Mount Rushmore alone ever could.
The state Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway has both increased its cohort size and endowed about 50 new teachers. Advocates say in a state with a noted teacher shortage, it represents steps toward closing the gap for educators.
The pathway gives qualified and interested paraprofessionals the opportunity to advance their careers and become fully fledged teachers.
For Kathryn Blaha, state Department of Education Division of Accreditation director, it does make a difference in the lives of those involved, and the communities they serve.
“As I listen to people who have been accepted into the program and hear their stories, it’s an opportunity for them to make a difference at a different level in the classroom, but it’s also making a significant impact on the communities that they’re living in and the financial changes for their own personal children,” Blaha said.
These cohorts are expanding to provide more opportunities on the back of support from the governor.
“We’ve had state support for additional funding for the program,” Blaha said. “It really is a program that allows individuals who otherwise may not have had an opportunity to seek a position as a teacher in a classroom to gain the experience and training to do so.”
As a result, Blaha said the new cohort will have over 70 positions. That’s the largest group since the inception of the program in 2023.
“It’s been a tremendous program,” Blaha said. “We have 118 that have graduated as of the spring and summer 2026 graduation ceremonies. We’re really to the impact and the differences those individuals will make.”
The program is run through Northern State University and takes an average of two years to complete.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 12, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 12 drawing
17-32-35-40-47, Mega Ball: 17
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 12 drawing
19-21-35-38-53, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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