Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Merrill Bruguier

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Department — Eagle Butte, SD

Accident Veteran →

End of Watch October 9, 2010

Age 37

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Badge 24-7UNION

The Vigil Panel 159 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Police Officer Merrill Bruguier was killed in a single vehicle crash at the intersection of S.D. Highway 63 and U.S. Highway 212 at approximately 4:00 am.

He was traveling from Cherry Creek to Eagle Butte at the time of the crash.

Officer Bruguier was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Department for 14 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and 9-year-old son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CRS-TR-063BADE0
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Bruguier gave the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Eagle Butte community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Department

Location Eagle Butte, SD

Platform Identity crstpd.nn.tribal.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 9, 2010

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 37

Badge Number 24-7UNION

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Merrill Bruguier served in the Marine Corps (1993â1997) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Merrill Bruguier is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In SD, 19 of 62 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.6% of this state's fallen.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Accident

SD — Statewide

of 62 officers

30.6% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Merrill Bruguier's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Merrill Bruguier Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

Years of Service