Rapid City Chase Suspect Wants New Public Defender

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A Rapid City man shot by a Highway Patrol trooper after a chase on Interstate 90 wants a new court-appointed attorney.

Twenty-seven-year-old William Chandler maintains there's a lack of communication between himself and his current public defender. Judge Janine Kern will rule after Chandler makes a formal written request.

Chandler has pleaded not guilty to charges ranging from aggravated assault to escape.

Authorities allege he led officers on a chase after a trooper tried to pull him over for speeding on Sept. 30. They say he eventually was caught and arrested but managed to escape his handcuffs and steal a squad car. A state investigation concluded that Trooper Mike Bock was justified in shooting and wounding Chandler because Chandler threatened to back the squad car into him.

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