A 26-year-old Minnehaha County deputy died three days after a Sioux Falls home shooting that left a suspect wounded and charged with trying to kill officers.

Fox News Digital reported that Minnehaha County Deputy Katherine Frank was critically wounded when gunfire erupted about 30 minutes after deputies arrived at a home in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Friday night.

Frank, 26, spent three days in critical condition before she died Monday, surrounded by family and loved ones. The suspect, Brandon John Oetken, 39, of Sioux Falls, was also wounded in the confrontation.

Both were treated at the home before being taken to hospitals. Frank later became an organ donor, the sheriff’s office said.

Oetken faces three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Minnehaha County jail records reviewed by reporters also list a felony offense of disarming a law enforcement officer. He remained in custody without bond Tuesday morning.

It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors planned to file additional charges after Frank’s death.

Deputies arrived; gunfire followed half an hour later

The sheriff’s office said Frank was critically wounded Friday night when the shooting broke out roughly 30 minutes after deputies reached the Sioux Falls residence. The original reason for the call and the precise sequence of shots were not detailed in early accounts.

Similar sudden violence has cut short lives in other recent cases, including a Philadelphia officer killed when a gunman opened fire during a response.

The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is handling the shooting probe at the sheriff’s office’s request. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley previously said investigators would review the use of force during the encounter, with a public report expected within 30 days.

The attorney general’s office also described the shooting as the fifth involving law enforcement officers in South Dakota this year.

Frank’s short career and final act of service

Frank began working at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in September 2022. She joined the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office in June 2024.

After her death, flowers, photographs, and tributes appeared at her patrol vehicle in Sioux Falls. The sheriff’s office said she became an organ donor in a final act of service.

The New York Post reported the same core timeline: critical wounds Friday night, three days in critical condition, and her death Monday with family present.

Tragedies that leave families and communities without answers have also marked other recent shootings, such as a Maryland hunter charged with manslaughter after a fatal case that could not be reversed.

Officials honor her service and call the loss deep

The Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement after her death.

"Deputy Frank's death is a significant loss to our agency and to the broader law enforcement community in and around Sioux Falls. She served the citizens of Minnehaha County with professionalism, humility, and dedication. Her absence will be felt deeply by all who have had the privilege of working alongside her."

The office added another tribute to her character and impact.

"Deputy Frank served with dignity and heart. Her service made a meaningful difference, and her impact will remain with us always."

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley released his own statement.

"We mourn the loss of Minnehaha County Sheriff's Deputy Katherine Frank, who sacrificed everything in the line of duty to keep us safe. Let us never forget her courage and the service of all of our law enforcement officers. Deputy Frank and her family remain in our prayers."

Sudden fatal attacks on people who simply showed up that day have stunned other communities as well, including a New York Times engineering director killed in a public setting.

Charges filed; key questions still open

Oetken, 39, of Sioux Falls, was wounded and charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Jail records also list the felony of disarming a law enforcement officer. He was held without bond as of Tuesday morning.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney’s Office for more information about the shooting and the charges; no response was described in the available reporting. The sheriff’s office requested that the state Division of Criminal Investigation lead the probe.

What remains unclear includes the original reason deputies went to the home, who fired and in what order, Oetken’s medical outcome after he was wounded, and whether homicide or other charges will be added now that Frank has died. Case numbers and full charging documents were not released in the early public accounts.

Other recent cases have shown how quickly violence can overwhelm a household and leave no path to recovery, as when a San Francisco police family murder-suicide took a daughter’s life.

Frank’s death leaves Minnehaha County without a young deputy who had already moved from prison work into patrol service. The suspect sits in custody. The state investigation and the promised use-of-force report will have to answer what happened inside that Sioux Falls home after deputies walked up.

When a deputy answers a call and does not come home, the least the public can demand is a full accounting, and courts that treat attacks on officers as the grave crimes they are.