Bullet Entering Sioux Falls Apartment Leads To Drug Arrests

Imagine you are relaxing in your apartment, maybe watching TV, reading a book or doomscrolling on your favorite app when out of nowhere a bullet enters your apartment. That terrifying experience happened to a Sioux Falls resident on Monday afternoon.

Sioux Falls Police responded to a call at an apartment building near South Plateau Trail and West Essex Drive at around 4:40 pm, according to Dakota News Now. The victim called police to report that a bullet came through the ceiling from another apartment.

As police were going upstairs to find the apartment that the bullet came from, they saw a man leaving. The man was stopped and questioned. A woman from the apartment let officers inside to conduct a protective sweep to ensure there were no injuries. While police were performing the sweep, officers say they smelled a strong scent of marijuana and found it laying out in plain sight.

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Officers called in the Drug Task Force and police secured a warrant to search the entire apartment. Police say a total of about 10 pounds of marijuana in various quantities were found and seized.

The woman who let police into the apartment, 48-year-old Adanech Abera Melka, was arrested for possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

Police also arrested the man who was attempting to flee. 21-year-old Misiker Mengistu Ashame is charged with committing or attempting to commit a felony with a firearm, reckless discharge of a firearm, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, and possession with the intent to distribute.

According to police, these larger amounts of marijuana like those found in this apartment typically come from outside of Sioux Falls.

Police say no one was injured in this event.