YANKTON, S.D. — A Watertown man was armed with two shotguns when he was shot by police outside Yankton High School last week, according to court documents.
Prosecutors in Yankton formally filed charges Thursday, Dec. 12, against 40-year-old Andrew Jondahl, of Watertown. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault against law enforcement officers and one count of possession of a loaded firearm while intoxicated.
Officers with the Yankton Police Department were dispatched to the west parking lot of Yankton High School shortly before 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, when someone reported that Jondahl was sitting in his truck threatening to harm himself. The 911 caller told police that Jondahl appeared to be holding a shotgun or rifle on his lap.
According to court documents, Jondahl was non-compliant with arriving officers, refusing to comply with verbal commands and yelling expletives at authorities. Police say Jondahl exited his truck armed with two guns, prompting two officers to fire several rounds.
While it’s unclear how many times Jondahl was struck, he was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The shooting occurred during a wrestling meet featuring athletes and spectators from Yankton, Watertown, Beresford, Alcester and Hudson. Authorities say that Jondahl was inside the high school, and was asked to leave because someone believed he was intoxicated.
Court documents say Jondahl was caught vomiting in the gymnasium and staggering down a hallway on surveillance footage.
After securing the scene, the investigation was turned over to the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Yankton County Sheriff’s Office. Court documents say two shotguns were recovered from near Jondahl’s truck, and shotgun shells were located inside his vehicle.
Police say the vehicle also contained napkins with messages written on them, including one that read: “I will kill them until they kill me.”
The officers involved in the shooting told investigators that Jondahl’s actions made them fear for their lives.
Jondahl is not currently listed as an inmate at the Yankton County Jail and continues receiving medical treatment, according to sources.
A court date has not yet been established. If convicted of both counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, Jondahl faces up to 50 years in prison and fines of up to $100,000.
The shooting in Yankton was the fifth officer-involved shooting in South Dakota this year. The Attorney General’s Office is expected to release its findings, including a determination of whether the use of deadly force was justified, in January.
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