South Dakota politico, media personality arrested on aggravated assault
Shad Olson jailed on domestic abuse charges
A political activist, podcaster and former television anchor from the Black Hills is in jail facing felony assault charges.
Shad Olson was arrested earlier this week by the Meade County Sheriff’s Office following allegations of domestic assault causing serious bodily injury for an incident that reportedly took place Friday at his home north of Rapid City, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Dakota Scout.
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Olson is a former television news anchor who first gained notoriety in conservative political circles in west river South Dakota when he was forced out of the news business in 2010 after speaking at a Tea Party rally in the Black Hills. Later that year he joined former legislator Gordon Howie’s gubernatorial run. Olson later worked for Neal Tapio’s Congressional campaign in 2018. That same year, he initiated an unsuccessful effort to keep two Native American Democratic lawmakers from being seated in the state Legislature over residency violation claims.
He continues to host the right-wing podcast, The Shad Olson Show.
According to court documents, the incident leading to Olson’s arrest entailed strangulation of a female victim and an attempt to evade arrest before he was taken into custody and placed in the Meade County Jail. As of Thursday evening, he remained in custody on a $5,000 bond.
