A man in Rapid City, South Dakota created what the police chief called “one of the largest crime scenes in Rapid City’s history” after a crime spree that lasted nearly an hour, during which he allegedly broke into three houses, stole two pickup trucks and attacked several people Tuesday morning.
Billy Robertson, 33, is being held in jail on charges of aggravated assault against an officer and first-degree robbery, the Rapid City Journal reported. He was arrested after his crime spree when he drove towards a police officer, department spokesperson Brendyn Medina said according to the report.
“It was a very chaotic time for patrol. Just as officers were arriving to one crime scene, another was being reported,” Medina added. “Only as things progressed did we begin to believe the incidents were related.” (RELATED: Violent Crime Explodes Across American Cities Following Nationwide Protests)
The Rapid City Police Department released a timeline of the events leading up to Robertson’s arrest.
33-year-old Billy Robertson is in custody after committing multiple crimes in the early morning hours of July 21st
“Robertson’s actions have created one of the largest crime scenes in Rapid City’s history,” says Interim Chief of Police Don Hedrick.https://t.co/0jte2diOw5 pic.twitter.com/FgJC4JdCFW
— RapidCityPD (@RapidCityPD) July 21, 2020
Shortly after 4:00 a.m., Robertson was asked to leave a trailer home and threatened the man who gave him a ride home with a knife, police said in the news release.
From there Robertson reportedly drove the stolen Ford F-150 truck and broke into two homes within five minutes of each other, stabbing one homeowner and threatening the other with his knife. He then attempted to steal a different Ford F-150 at 4:30 a.m., dragging the truck’s owner behind him and crashing into both the first F-150 and another house, per the news release.
Robertson returned to the first F-150 and proceeded to drive it across a golf course around 4:40 a.m., per the news release. He swerved towards an officer who was there for an unrelated call, and the officer shot at him. None of the shots hit Robertson, who then fled the area and was apprehended shortly after.
Both the homeowner who was stabbed and the man who was dragged behind his truck were sent to the hospital and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the report.
“Robertson’s actions have created one of the largest crime scenes in Rapid City’s history,” Interim Chief of Police Don Hedrick said in the news report. “His clearly reckless and dangerous behaviors put lives at risk, and I am incredibly thankful that the suspect was apprehended before he could hurt more of our citizens.”
The investigation is ongoing, and police are “still working to determine what appropriate charges apply to Robertson’s actions,” according to the news report.