A manhunt is underway for Cody Dittman, a 34-year-old Norfolk, Nebraska man, following a series of incidents spanning multiple jurisdictions. On Thursday evening, Dittman allegedly assaulted a pregnant woman at a Norfolk hotel, choking, biting, and striking her, at one point cutting off her ability to breathe. A judge signed a warrant for his arrest on Friday.
Early Friday morning, Oglala Sioux Tribal Police attempted to stop a black Jeep Cherokee matching the description of a vehicle connected to an earlier firearms complaint on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The vehicle, driven by Dittman, fled west on Highway 18. Officers deployed spike strips on Highway 18 in Fall River County, just outside the reservation boundary.
As Dittman’s vehicle approached, it swerved toward the officers, prompting one officer to fire their duty weapon at it. The pursuit continued into rural Dawes County, Nebraska.
Search for assault suspect intensifies
Dittman fled on foot and remains at large. Two additional occupants were in the vehicle, one of whom sustained non-life-threatening injuries. No officers were injured in the incident.
The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating the officer-involved shooting, collaborating with the FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and Oglala Sioux Tribal Police. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley stated, “Our first priority is to apprehend the suspect without further incident, and then DCI will investigate the portion of the incident that occurred in South Dakota.”
Law enforcement agencies in both states are coordinating efforts to locate and apprehend Dittman. Authorities urge anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Dispatch at 605-867-5111.
This marks the second officer-involved shooting in South Dakota this year. Further details regarding the incidents in South Dakota and the officer-involved shooting have not been disclosed.
