Officer Shot in Sioux Falls; Suspect Arrested After I-29 Pursuit
The scene of an officer-involved shooting in Sioux Falls on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Via KELO-TV
A Sioux Falls police officer was shot Tuesday afternoon during a confrontation with a wanted suspect, prompting a multi-agency response that ended with the suspect’s arrest near Beresford.
The shooting occurred just after 4 p.m. on April 1, near the intersection of West 12th Street and Elmwood Avenue.
Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum said officers were attempting to arrest 25-year-old Samir Yasser Albaidhani of Sioux Falls, who had multiple outstanding warrants across several counties.
During the attempted arrest, Albaidhani opened fire on officers. At least one officer returned fire and an officer assigned to the department’s violent crime unit was struck. The officer was transported to a local hospital and is expected to survive. Authorities said he has been with the unit for about a decade.
Following the exchange of gunfire, Albaidhani fled the scene. Law enforcement launched a widespread search, which led to a police presence along Interstate 29 near exit 42 by Beresford. Just before 6 p.m., the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office confirmed that the incident along I-29 was connected to the earlier shooting.
According to Chief Thum, Albaidhani again fired at officers during the traffic stop near Beresford before he was shot and taken into custody. He was transported to a hospital with injuries. Officials have not released the extent of those injuries but confirmed he was alive as of Tuesday evening.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is now leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as is standard protocol for law enforcement use-of-force incidents in the state.
Police initially alerted the public at 4:50 p.m., advising people to avoid West 12th Street between Western Avenue and Kiwanis Avenue. A shooting had been reported in the area, later confirmed at 5:11 p.m. to involve law enforcement. Traffic along 12th Street remained restricted for hours while investigators processed the scene.
Albaidhani’s arrest ended a dangerous series of events that began in a residential and commercial corridor in Sioux Falls and ended nearly 40 miles to the south on a rural stretch of highway.
Authorities have not yet released the officer’s name or any additional details about the warrants Albaidhani was wanted on. No other injuries have been reported.
The investigation is ongoing, and more information is expected in the coming days.
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