The man shot by police in Rosebud earlier this year died from a gunshot wound and neck injury, according to his death certificate.
Jacob Archambault, a 25-year-old from St. Francis, died Jan. 27 from a gunshot wound to the chest, orthopedic decapitation and a car crash, according to the death certificate. An orthopedic decapitation occurs when the skull separates from the spinal column.
While it was clear that the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services shot at Archambault, it wasn't initially clear whether he was hit or how he died until the Journal obtained his death certificate.
Soon after the shooting, FBI spokesman Kevin Smith said Archambault "died as the result of a tribal officer-involved shooting." RST Police Chief Marlin Enno said it was unclear if the man was hit, and, if so, if he died from the shooting or the impact of the car crash.
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Archambault died around 7:08 p.m. inside his car on Spotted Tail Lane in Rosebud, the certificate says. His manner of death was ruled a homicide — meaning he was killed by another person — and he was injured due to the police pursuit and gunfire, the documents says. Not all homicides — such as certain accidents and self-defense killings — are criminal.
The incident began Jan. 27 with a report of an intoxicated man breaking windows and threatening a family in St. Francis, RST police said in a press release. A caller gave a description of the man's vehicle once he left the area.
An RST officer tried to stop the vehicle once he saw it in Rosebud, according to the release. But the man drove away toward a housing area. Another officer joined the pursuit and the suspect's vehicle drove up a gravel trail that leads to the Soldier Hill homes. Officers were able to identify Archambault and realized he had a tribal warrant.
Once at the top of the trail, Archambault was unable to drive onto the pavement road and was blocked by two police cars, the release said. Archambault then rammed his vehicle into one of the police cars. The officers fired at his vehicle, which went over a cliff and rolled to the bottom. The RST Ambulance Service pronounced Archambault dead at the scene and tried to extricate him from the vehicle.
Enno and Smith have not provided the names of the officers who shot Archambault, and Smith said there's no new public information about the case.
