Jury awards man $212,058 after Prairie Bottle Market incident

By Katie Brown, Journal staff | Thursday, March 29, 2007

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RAPID CITY -- A Pennington County jury Wednesday night awarded a Winner man $212,058 in damages for an incident in 2000 during which he was wrongly attacked by a security guard and clerks at Prairie Bottle Market in Rapid City.

After a two-day trial before 7th Circuit Judge Jack Delaney, the jury found in favor of Robert Black Feather, 58, the man who said on Sept. 30, 2000, a Prairie Bottle Market security guard and two clerks grabbed him, took him outside and pushed him onto the ground.

Black Feather’s attorney, Charles Abourezk, said his client was then held by the three men until police arrived.

Abourezk said at the time of the incident, Black Feather and his wife and children were grocery shopping at the store. Black Feather, who had not been drinking, attempted to buy a bottle of rum, and a cashier called security.

“It was very humiliating for him,” Abourezk said. “His wife and children saw him stretched out on the ground, and a crowd had gathered.”

Black Feather was released from police custody an hour later and was not charged.

During the incident, Black Feather sustained severe bruises, scrapes and cuts and a ruptured disk in his lower back.

Abourezk said Black Feather’s medical expenses totaled $12,000. He said the jury awarded him $212,058 in damages for negligent infliction of emotional distress and battery.

Nash Finch, owner of Prairie Bottle Market, will be liable for the damages.

“I’ve always believed that there are a lot of decent people in Rapid City, and I’m pleased that they recognized another decent person in Robert Black Feather,” Abourezk said.

Contact Katie Brown at 394-8318 or katie.brown@rapidcityjournal.com