The promise of cigarettes persuaded a man to come down from an electrical transmission tower, which he had climbed after stealing a golf cart and a car and leading a high-speed chase from Aberdeen to Westport on Sunday, authorities say. The 26-year-old man, who lives in Aberdeen, has been charged with aggravated assault, grand theft, burglary, obstructing law enforcement, eluding and a parole violation, said Capt. Neil Bittner of the Aberdeen Police Department. Law enforcement would not release his name.
Brown County Deputy Kyle Crawford knew the man before Sunday's events, said Brown County Chief Deputy Sheriff Tom Schmitt. Crawford, from the ground, was talking to the suspect while he was on the tower, and the man offered to climb down and turn himself in if he could have a pack of cheap cigarettes, Schmitt said. Law enforcement agreed because it was a reasonable way to resolve the situation, Schmitt said. Sunday's events started when police received a report of domestic violence at 11:13 a.m. at the Ramkota Hotel, Bittner said. The man fled on foot to the Rolling Hills Golf Course, where he stole a golf cart and drove back to the Ramkota to hop in his car, which was parked there, Bittner said.
Howard Dahme, owner of the golf cart, said he parked his cart on the ninth hole and was putting when a young man wearing blue jeans and no shirt jumped into the golf cart and drove off. "By the time I had started to putt, the guy was already gone," Dahme said. The police arrived soon after, so Dahme pointed them to where the man fled. Dahme said he found his cart parked by the Ramkota Hotel with about 25 people gathered around. Dahme said he waited until officers told him he could take his cart home. He said the cart was undamaged. Dennis Cranford, an employee at the Ramkota Hotel, said he saw the man drive away in a white car. Cranford said the police arrived moments later and he pointed out the direction the man drove.
Then, about 1 p.m., the suspect left his car, entered a home in the northwestern part of town, then stole a car parked in the driveway, Bittner said. Aberdeen police officers, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Brown County Sheriff's Department all became involved in the pursuit when the suspect started heading toward Westport at speeds exceeding 100 mph, Bittner said. The man abandoned the vehicle in Westport and climbed up the transmission tower at about 2 p.m., as several residents from Westport watched. Schmitt said a negotiator was called in, but the man surrendered before the negotiator's arrival.
The suspect surrendered at about 2:30 p.m., Bittner said. Bittner said he didn't have a chance to call and verify if the man was in custody, but he believes the man is still being held, because he was arrested while on parole. The power line is owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, based in Bismarck, N.D., and operated by the Western Area Power Administration. The transmission line carries 345,000 volts, which is 3,000 times higher than a household current.
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