South Dakota man accused of threatening Gov. Noem, judge

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota man is charged with threatening a state official and judge after he allegedly faxed a message to a local TV station saying he planned to kill Gov. Kristi Noem and allegedly emailed a threat to a judge.

Jason Shields was arrested in October shortly after the threats were made, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported. He is charged with a pair of felonies that each carry a maximum five-year prison sentence.

According to court documents, Shields sent a one-page fax to a TV station on Oct. 23 saying he and several others were planning to kill the Republican governor soon. Law enforcement arrested Shields that day. He later told law enforcement officers that he had acted alone, court documents say.

Shield also told officers that a day earlier he had emailed Magistrate Judge Donna Bucher that he wanted her killed because he felt she had made decisions that were not “appropriate or just," according to court documents.

Shields has not yet entered a plea. His attorney, Sandy Steffen, declined to comment on the charges.

Both the governor's security team and South Dakota's court system increased their security protocols after the threats.