March 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 3

AROUND THE COUNTRY
MOODY COUNTY, SD.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok was struck and killed by the driver
of a vehicle being pursued by the Madison Police Department.
Chief Deputy Ken Prorok, 51, ment officer delivers a blow to
of Wentworth was killed Feb. 2 that department, Howe said.
when he was struck by a suspect’s
“As an agency head, such as a
vehicle while placing sheriff or chief, we never want
spike strips during a high-speed to be in that position of losing a
pursuit. He was killed when a deputy in a felonious manner or
suspect’s car allegedly struck even an accident. It leaves a hole
him during a high-speed pursuit that you can’t fill by simply hiring
down Highway 34.
a replacement,” he said.
Joseph Gene Hoek, 40, has “We aren’t just faceless people
been indicted on charges of
wearing uniforms. These are
first-degree murder and aggravated
people we know and appreciate
eluding. He could face as individuals, and hiring a new
the death penalty and remains deputy to replace the old is hard
incarcerated without bond. enough when one moves on to
A witness who saw the oncoming
another job. But when the deputy CHIEF DEPUTY KEN PROROK
pursuit alleges that was killed, you just don’t move
Hoek swerved intentionally to on from that easily.”
hit Prorok as he was setting up The Clay County Sheriff’s ed effort to run down the chief
the spikes.
Office, along with other departments
deputy.
Clay County Sheriff Andy
from across the nation, “Joseph Hoek took the life of
Howe and a deputy attended the wanted to show their support for a good man by his deliberate
funeral and participated in the the Prorok family, Howe said. actions,” Maggs said. “Hoek will
vehicle procession.
“Working in small agencies be convicted of Prorok’s murder,
“I know each officer feels the means we know the deputies’ and once he is, I hope he gets the
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impact of a line of duty death, families, parents, kids, and death penalty.”
especially when it’s from another
small agency doing the same these deaths even more diffiment
officers from across the
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spouses,” he said. “That makes In the meantime, law enforce-
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job as we do,” the sheriff said. cult, and we really want to show nation attended Prorok’s funeral.
They were joined by family,
“It hits very close to home when those families support when this
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it happens doing something that happens, so officers come from friends and those who wanted to
so many of us have done as well all over to do that.”
show their support. Attendance
and we see how easily it could Bon Homme County Sheriff was so large, the funeral was
happen in our own agency.” Mark Maggs expressed anger moved to the Dakota State University
The loss of any law enforce-
at what he sees as a calculat-
field house in Madison.
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The Blues - March ‘24 31
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