Oren Stuart Hindman
Agency patch
Trooper

Oren Stuart Hindman

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch May 2, 1985
Age 30
Tour of Duty 6 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 129 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Oren Hindman was stabbed to death by a suspect he had placed in his patrol car on Interstate 90, about a half mile from the Jackson Boulevard interchange in Spearfish. Trooper Hindman had arrested a woman for DUI near Spearfish and provided her boyfriend a ride around 11:30 p.m. During the trip, the woman's boyfriend stabbed Trooper Hindman in the throat from the backseat of the patrol car. Both subjects then fled on foot. Trooper Hindman drove himself to the hospital but died before surgeons arrived. The subject who stabbed him pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. He died in prison. Trooper Hindman was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the South Dakota Highway Patrol for 6-1/2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-SD-ED0F53C7
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Oren is one person.

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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.
Trooper Hindman gave the South Dakota Highway Patrol 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of South Dakota, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Pierre, SD
Platform Identity sdhp.sd.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 2, 1985
Tour of Duty 6 yrs 6 mo
Age 30
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon

Military Service

Oren Stuart Hindman served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Oren Stuart Hindman is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In SD, 36 of 62 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58.1% of this state's fallen. That is 58.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At South Dakota Highway Patrol, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

South Dakota Highway Patrol
2
of 5 officers
40% Felonious
SD — Statewide
36
of 62 officers
58.1% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Oren Stuart Hindman's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Oren Stuart Hindman Compares

Age at Death
30
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
6.5
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Oren Stuart Hindman is highlighted in May.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Oren Stuart Hindman was killed by edged weapon.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Military Service

Oren Stuart Hindman served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

Visit Oren Stuart Hindman’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.