Biden commutes sentence of Leonard Peltier — convicted of killing FBI agents on Pine Ridge
20 January
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, U.S. December 10, 2024.
Just before leaving office Monday, President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of Leonard Peltier, who was serving life in prison for the killings of two FBI agents in 1975 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
A statement from the White House said the commutation means Peltier will serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement. Peltier is 80 years old, the White House said, and suffers from severe health ailments after spending nearly half a century in prison. The statement said the action “will not pardon him for his underlying crimes.”
The White House noted that tribal nations, Nobel Peace laureates, former law enforcement officials (including the former U.S. attorney whose office oversaw Peltier’s prosecution and appeal), dozens of lawmakers, and human rights organizations supported clemency for Peltier, citing his advanced age, illnesses, his ties to and leadership in the Native American community, and the substantial length of time he has spent in prison.
Biden issues preemptive pardons to Fauci, Milley and Jan. 6 committee members, staff
Peltier is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota. He was active in the American Indian Movement in 1975 when the shootings occurred.
According to the FBI, agents Ron Williams and Jack Coler were attempting to arrest a man on the Pine Ridge Reservation who was wanted for robbery. They pursued a vehicle containing several occupants, including Peltier, into an area of the reservation where the fatal shootout ensued.
AIM member Joseph Stuntz also died — from a shot by a law enforcement sniper, according to federal authorities. The lack of an investigation into Stuntz’s death is one of numerous criticisms that has been leveled against the government’s handling of the incident, the trial and Peltier’s conviction.
NDN Collective, an Indigenous rights organization in Rapid City, issued a news release Monday celebrating Peltier’s commutation. The release included a quote attributed to Peltier: “It’s finally over – I’m going home. I want to show the world I’m a good person with a good heart. I want to help the people, just like my grandmother taught me.”
Nick Tilsen, founder and CEO of NDN Collective, credited “50 years of intergenerational resistance, organizing and advocacy” for winning the commutation.
“Leonard Peltier’s liberation is our liberation – we will honor him by bringing him back to his homelands to live out the rest of his days surrounded by loved ones, healing, and reconnecting with his land and culture,” Tilsen said.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seth Tupper for questions: info@southdakotasearchlight.com.