RAPID CITY, S.D. – Two Rapid City men are in custody following a Sunday morning shooting incident at a local park that drew a swift response from law enforcement.
At around 7:40 a.m. on May 24, Rapid City police officers were dispatched to Roosevelt Park at 300 Omaha Street after receiving a report of a male firing a handgun near the park pond.

Officers quickly converged on the area and located one male, identified as 37-year-old Tommy Bluebird of Rapid City. Upon the arrival of police, a second male fled on foot along the bike path, discarding a firearm as he ran. Following a short foot pursuit, officers detained the fleeing suspect, identified as 39-year-old Jon Caldwell of Rapid City.

Authorities determined that both men were on parole at the time of the incident. Bluebird was placed under arrest for a Parole Hold. Caldwell was arrested for Obstruction and a Parole Hold.

The discarded firearm has since been recovered by officers. No injuries were reported as a result of the gunfire. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and police anticipate that state and federal firearms charges are forthcoming.

The broad daylight weapons violation prompted sharp criticism from local law enforcement leadership regarding the state’s oversight of paroled individuals.
“This is the second incident in less than a week’s time in which Rapid City police have apprehended a parolee after they recklessly discharged a firearm within one of our city’s neighborhoods,” says Chief of Police Don Hedrick. “We refuse to allow this type of dangerous behavior become normalized, and it’s clear that work needs to continue at the state level in order to ensure the parolees released into our community by the State Department of Corrections are appropriately supervised to ensure they do not continue create new victims as they are allowed to serve their sentences outside the penitentiary setting. I’m extremely thankful no one was hurt by the suspect’s dangerous actions, and for the quick response of our officers that resulted in the swift apprehension of the two men involved.”