Rapid City in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Eagles
Ryan McCandless
⎯⎯⎯
Nick Armstrong
October 16, 2021
1. The Eagles Marker
"On eagles wings they soar, forever free, forever in our hearts."
On August 2, 2011, three Rapid City Police Officers were shot while on a routine public nuisance call. Officer Ryan McCandless died at the scene, Officer Nick Armstrong survived four more days, and Officer Tim Doyle made a full recovery. These were the first officers shot in the line of duty in our city in nearly 100 years. On August 11, 2011, both officers were laid to rest, Officer Ryan McCandless in his hometown of Midland, Michigan and Officer Nick Armstrong in his hometown of Rapid City, South Dakota.
Ryan McCandless
"My dad was a deputy sheriff with Midland County (Michigan). I have known my entire life that I wanted to be a police officer. For some people, it's the thrill of the job, but for me it's the opportunity to give back to the community that means so much. My vision of making the community better is simple: every little thing I do counts, from stopping a domestic violence dispute to taking a drunk driver off the road. These little things are all it takes to make a world of difference."
Nick
this page online
"My dad was a Deputy Sheriff with Pennington County. For as long as I can remember, I admired what he did. I viewed police officers as heroes; someone to do good in the community, someone people could look up to. It's all I ever wanted to do."
Erected by Armstrong and McCandless families, with community support.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is August 2, 2011.
Location. 44° 5.082′ N, 103° 14.571′ W. Marker is in Rapid City, South Dakota, in Pennington County. It is on West Omaha Street (Highway 44) north of Canal Street. The marker is located near the bathrooms in Founders Park in Rapid City. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1510 W Omaha Street, Rapid City SD 57701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West River and in the Badlands. It is also in the American Black Hills, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rapid City Founders Camp Site (a few steps from this marker); Rapid Creek Flood Mark (a few steps from this marker); Welcome to Founders Park Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); Rapid City's Founders (within shouting distance of this marker); Landscapes (within shouting distance of this marker); Pioneers and Native Americans (within shouting distance of this marker);
October 16, 2021
2. Ryan McCandless Marker
October 16, 2021
3. Nick Armstrong Marker
October 16, 2021
4. The Eagles Memorial
Credits. This page was last revised on October 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2021. This page has been viewed 292 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 27, 2021. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
