Published on: December 10, 2025, 05:35h.
Updated on: December 10, 2025, 05:35h.
- Law enforcement employs less-lethal ammunition to neutralize knife-wielding robbery suspect.
- Feather apprehended after menacing officers amid ongoing criminal inquiries.
- Second suspect in casino robbery remains unverified as either detained or at large.
A suspect involved in the August 28 theft at Joker’s Casino in Rapid City, S.D., was shot on Sunday by the police using a less-lethal device designed to discharge sponge rounds or pepper balls, as stated by the Rapid City Police Department (RCPD).
John Feather, age 43, from Lead, S.D., was evaluated at a nearby hospital before being taken into custody.
He was one of the two individuals the police were pursuing regarding an incident at Joker’s where a patron was enticed outside, assaulted, and robbed of his cash winnings, according to a news release from RCPD dated December 4.
While the exact amount stolen from the victim was not disclosed, authorities did release images of Feather and his alleged accomplice, Robert White Plume, age 39, captured by casino surveillance cameras, alongside a plea for information.
Police Pursue Duo
Both individuals were subjects of outstanding arrest warrants for robbery and false imprisonment when officers responded to a disturbance reported around 4:20 p.m. on December 7 at an O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Rapid City.
Upon arrival, officers spotted a man—identified later as Feather—standing outside the store acting erratically.
The suspect noticed the police vehicle and approached with his hands concealed in his pockets. According to the police, when the officer commanded him to raise his hands, Feather purportedly brandished a knife from his pocket and aimed it at the officer.
At this juncture, another officer arrived with a less-lethal launcher. When Feather continued to disobey instructions to drop the knife, the officer discharged a round, striking Feather in the leg, prompting the suspect to drop the weapon, which facilitated his arrest.
Criminal Background
Feather has a significant criminal history. Police records indicate he was arrested the day following the casino robbery, prior to being identified as a suspect, due to “a disturbance involving a knife.”
He faces multiple pending charges from previous years, including a simple assault case from November, an obstruction charge related to the knife incident, another simple assault filed in September 2024, a second-degree rape accusation from 2022, and an aggravated assault case against a law enforcement officer dating back to August 2021, as reported by The Rapid City Journal.
As for the second suspect in the casino robbery, who also has an extensive criminal record, RCPD has not clarified whether he is still at large.