In need of answers: A reporter's investigation into police shootings of Native Americans

In this episode of the Behind the Headlines podcast, host Faith Dey speaks with Ted McDermott, a reporter for the Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism team.

McDermott has spent more than a year investigating the high rates of fatal encounters between Native Americans and local law enforcement, particularly on and off tribal lands in South Dakota.

Ted's investigation delves into alarming statistics that show Native Americans in the region die from police encounters at rates significantly higher than their white counterparts. He discusses the systemic issues, including underfunding of tribal law enforcement and lack of transparency, which contribute to these tragic outcomes.

Listen to the conversation between Dey and McDermott through the player above and catch up on the complete series below.

Previous installments from this series

Several people allege Rosebud Sioux tribal police made threats against Jacob Archambault before he ended up dead, at the bottom of a ravine, in an SUV riddled with police bullets.

Loved ones, residents, former tribal officials and ex-law enforcement officers repeatedly allege that Rosebud tribal police use force unlawfully, selectively enforce the law, harass residents and violate their civil rights.

Evidence suggests that Native Americans die in police interactions at a higher rate than other groups — and that most of these deaths occur in off-reservation communities like Rapid City.

The numbers are so high that a researcher initially had a hard time believing them. A Lee Enterprises investigation gives insight about the forces that have been fueling these deaths.

Having their elders sent to boarding school or suffering from addiction "likely contributes to the moment that an Indigenous person finds themself encountering the police," one expert said.