A 26-year-old Minnehaha County deputy died Monday after being shot in a Friday night confrontation at a Sioux Falls home, leaving the suspect charged with multiple counts of attempted murder of law enforcement officers.
Minnehaha County Deputy Katherine Frank was critically wounded when gunfire erupted about 30 minutes after deputies arrived at a home in Sioux Falls. She spent three days in critical condition before dying Monday, surrounded by family and loved ones.
Fox News Digital reported that Frank, 26, and the suspect were both treated at the scene and then taken to hospitals. The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is handling the case at the request of the sheriff’s office.
Brandon John Oetken, 39, of Sioux Falls, faces three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Jail records also list a felony charge of disarming a law enforcement officer. He remained in custody without bond as of Tuesday morning.
It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors would add charges after Frank’s death. The Minnehaha County State’s Attorney’s Office was contacted for further details on the shooting and the case.
Frank joined the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office in June 2024. Before that, she worked at the South Dakota State Penitentiary beginning in September 2022. She became an organ donor after her death.
The sheriff’s office described the loss in plain terms.
"Deputy Frank's death is a significant loss to our agency and to the broader law enforcement community in and around Sioux Falls,"
Officials added that she served with professionalism, humility, and dedication, and that her absence would be felt by those who worked beside her.
In a separate statement, the office said she “served with dignity and heart” and that her service made a lasting difference. A memorial appeared at her patrol vehicle in Sioux Falls.
Violent encounters that put officers and civilians at risk continue to surface in other cases, including recent enforcement actions that ended in gunfire.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued a direct tribute after the death.
"We mourn the loss of Minnehaha County Sheriff's Deputy Katherine Frank, who sacrificed everything in the line of duty to keep us safe. Let us never forget her courage and the service of all of our law enforcement officers. Deputy Frank and her family remain in our prayers,"
Jackley’s office noted this was the fifth shooting involving law enforcement officers in South Dakota this year. He had earlier said investigators would review the use of force in the encounter, with a public report expected within 30 days.
The New York Post likewise detailed Frank’s death after the Friday night shooting, the charges against Oetken, and the tributes to her service and organ donation.
Cases that begin with a sudden violent death and end in an arrest often leave families and communities waiting on forensic and charging details, as other recent investigations have shown.
Oetken’s charges center on the attack on officers. The full sequence of who fired, how each person was wounded, and the exact reason deputies first responded to the home have not been publicly laid out in the available accounts.
What is established is the timeline: deputies arrived Friday night, gunfire broke out roughly half an hour later, Frank was left in critical condition, and she died Monday after three days. The suspect was wounded and booked. The Division of Criminal Investigation continues its work.
Public attention also turns to how society treats those who target police, a theme that has appeared when political figures have defended imagery tied to notorious cop-killer cases.
Frank’s record was brief but clear. She moved from prison work into county patrol in 2024 and was killed while answering a call that turned into a gunfight. Officials have asked the public to remember her service and keep her family in their thoughts.
Sudden fatal incidents leave little room for second chances, whether they unfold at a residence or in other unexpected settings that end in loss of life.
Law enforcement officers still walk into unknown situations every shift. When one of them does not come home, the charges, the investigation, and the public report are the least the community can demand in return.
Deputy Frank did the job. The man accused of shooting her now faces the full weight of the charges filed against him.