President Biden commutes life sentence of man who killed Pine Ridge Reservation federal agents

WASHINGTON - In one of his final acts before leaving office, President Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, a prominent member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who was convicted of killing two federal agents during a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

“He is now 80 years old, suffers from severe health ailments, and has spent the majority of his life (nearly half a century) in prison. This commutation will enable Mr Peltier to spend his remaining days in home confinement but will not pardon him for his underlying crimes,” President Biden’s statement reads.

AIM, the organization to which he belonged, advocated for Indigenous rights and bringing attention to systemic issues such as police brutality against Native Americans.

Peltier was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder, but his case has remained controversial. In his 1999 memoir, “Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance,”  Peltier admitted to being involved in the shootout but maintained he did not fire the shots that killed the FBI agents. His conviction has long been seen by supporters as emblematic of broader struggles for Indigenous justice, and his name has become a rallying cry for those advocating for his freedom.

Peltier was denied parole as recently as July 2023 and was not eligible for another review until 2026.