Parkston armed standoff suspect faces possible 25-year prison term

PARKSTON -- An 18-year-old man who was involved in an armed standoff with police earlier this month in Parkston now faces new, more severe charges.

Nicholas Heisinger, of Parkston, was initially charged with simple assault on a law enforcement officer, a felony with a maximum punishment of two years in prison and a $4,000 fine, and obstructing law enforcement, a misdemeanor, following his March 2 arrest after an armed standoff with police, but those charges have now been changed.

In a complaint filed Wednesday, Heisinger is charged with aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, a felony with a maximum punishment of 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. He is also charged with two misdemeanors, obstructing a law enforcement officer and public indecency.

Attorney Keith Goehring, of Parkston, has been appointed to defend Heisinger.

Heisinger made his initial appearance in court Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court again later this month for a preliminary hearing.

As of Monday morning, Heisinger remained in custody at the Davison County Jail with bond set at $4,000 cash.

The incident began around 4:30 a.m. March 2 when the Parkston Police Department responded to a report of a naked man standing outside a house at 201 S. First St. in Parkston. An officer arrived at the scene five minutes later and saw the naked man, who the officer identified as Heisinger. Heisinger appeared “agitated and confused, and was bleeding from his face,” court documents say.

Two additional officers were called to the scene. Once they arrived, the three officers approached Heisinger, who fled to the second floor of the house while ignoring calls to stop from the officers, court documents say.

The officers pursued Heisinger, who picked up and threw a liquor bottle, table leg and television as the officers attempted to calm him down, court documents say. Heisinger then fled into a bedroom and the officers followed. Heisinger picked up a rifle with a scope in the bedroom, according to court documents, and the officers retreated out of the building and took cover behind their vehicles. At this point, the Hutchinson County Sheriff’s Office was called in to assist with the situation.

A perimeter was set up while the officers attempted to make contact with Heisinger, who could be seen moving about both floors of the house, occasionally turning lights on and off, and opening window shades and peering out, court documents say.

There was one other person in the residence when the incident began, but the person managed to escape the house at approximately 5:14 a.m., court documents say.

Heisinger exited the residence on his own and unarmed at around 6:40 a.m. and was immediately taken into custody. He told officers he “did not know why he was acting the way he was and he did not remember anything,” and had “scrapes and small cuts on his arms, legs, back and feet,” court documents say.

Heisinger denied using any illegal drugs and a breathalyzer found he had no blood alcohol content shortly after his arrest.

No one else has been charged in connection with the standoff, according to Parkston Police Chief Greg Reichenberg.

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