RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Authorities say six people accused of setting up a Rapid City homeless camp without the proper requirements and obstructing law enforcement are facing city and state charges.
Daniel Yazzie, Mark Tilsen Jr., Hermus Bettelyoun, James Pipe On Head, Mary Frooman and Carrie Middletent were all charged by the Pennington County State’s Attorney Office with obstructing police officers. Frooman and Middletent were also charged with resisting arrest.
All six were later charged by the Rapid City Attorney’s Office with breaking three Rapid City codes related to trespassing and failing to obtain the needed permits in flood plain zones, the Rapid City Journal reported.
The six defendants, all or most of whom are regular volunteers at the camp, declined to comment during a court hearing on Tuesday.
Supporters say they are being criminalized for helping people. They argue that law enforcement and the courts don’t have jurisdiction since the group was on land that was stolen by the U.S. government after being promised to the Lakota people in now-broken treaties.
The arrests and charges stem from an Oct. 16 Lakota-led attempt to create the Camp Mniluzahan winter homeless camp on Rapid City-owned land.
The six defendants declined to comment during a court hearing on Tuesday.
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