Release: Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission acts on legislator’s complaints

Pat Powers

LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS AND TRAINING COMMISSION ACTS ON LEGISLATOR’S COMPLAINTS

PIERRE, S.D. – Division of Criminal Investigation Director David Natvig, who also serves as Chairman of the Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission, announced today that the commission has completed its investigation into four law enforcement professionals.

The complaints were brought to the attention of the commission and lodged against Brown County Sheriff Mark Milbrandt, Brown County Chief Deputy David Lunzman, Madison Police Officer Matthew Wollmann, and former Brown County Deputy Ross Erickson by State Senator Stace Nelson in March of 2019.

The executive secretary of the commission assigned a professional standards investigator to  the cases to review and investigate the allegations. The results of that investigation were then submitted to the chairman of the commission. Following a review of the initial complaint and the  subsequent findings of the investigation it was determined that the evidence  in the  cases of Milbrandt, Lunzman, and Wollmann was not sufficient to support a certification revocation hearing and those complaints have been dismissed. In the fourth case, Erickson voluntarily surrendered his law enforcement certification, rendering the investigation moot.

“I cannot stress the quality and outstanding work of our executive secretary and investigators enough,” said Natvig. “Their dedication to professionalism and ethics for the law enforcement professionals in South Dakota makes our state a better, safer place for all of us to live, work, and raise our families.”

The Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission was briefed on the cases and the decision at its most recent meeting in Sioux Falls.

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6 thoughts on “Release: Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission acts on legislator’s complaints”

  2. Interesting that anybody would question the personnel decisions of a county he doesn’t live in.

  3. Not sure which is worse; Democrats charging Republicans with made up vendettas or Republicans charging Republicans with made up vendettas.
    But if you want to see positive outcomes, getting rid of any politician charging made up vendettas is a great starting point.

    1. So was it made up when Governor Noem used it against Jackley to win the primary? Or when the judge made SD taxpayers pay $1.5 Million for the sexual harassment and retaliation?

  4. The only person named in the lawsuit was Gortmaker and he’s gone. There was no funding by the jury about these other guys, nothing, look it up. It’s easy to try and second guess but after hearing that they did a full investigation and the FACTS were turned over to the Director (who I understand was a prosecutor for nearly two decades) who determined it didn’t meet the requirements for going forward, maybe all the rest of us without all the FACTS should have a little faith that the system worked as it was designed?

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