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Former Campbell County Wyoming Fire Chief Gary Scott Sentenced To Just 24 Years In Federal Prison For Serial Child Molestation - Many Victims Were In Fire Cadet Program He Started
June 8th, 2008
CHEYENNE, WYOMING — A federal judge on Friday sentenced former Campbell County Fire Chief Gary Scott to serve more than 24 years in prison on 10 felony convictions of taking children under the age of 18 across state lines to sexually molest them.
Scott molested many of his victims while they were in a children’s fire cadet program he started after Campbell County hired him as fire chief in 1991. Prosecutors say the abuse continued until his arrest last August. He pleaded guilty in March.
While Scott expressed regret for his actions, U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer ruled that he had violated his position of trust over the victims. Brimmer said the breach of trust demanded that Scott receive a penalty harsher than the nearly 22 years in prison spelled out in federal sentencing guidelines.
Read MoreFormer Campbell County Wyoming Fire Chief Gary Scott Expected To Plead Guilty In Federal Court To Child Molestation Related Charges
March 3rd, 2008
CAMPBELL COUNTY, WYOMING - Former Fire Chief Gary Scott is expected to plead guilty Wednesday to federal charges that he crossed state lines with the intent to have sex with minors.
A change of plea hearing has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Anderson, who is prosecuting the case.
“At this point, we have requested the court schedule a change of plea hearing,” Anderson said. “We believe we’ve worked out a settlement on the federal charges. That’s pending a formal agreement. That’s still being worked on. Hopefully, we’ll get that done the first part of next week.”
Scott, 53, was charged last fall with 12 counts of crossing state lines with the intent to have sex with a minor — charges that carry penalties of up to 30 years, depending on when they occurred.
Read MoreWyoming Pays $350,000 To Settle State Prison Beating/Sexual Assault Lawsuit
February 24th, 2008
CHEYENNE, WYOMING — The state of Wyoming paid $350,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former prison inmate who claimed he was beaten and sexually assaulted by another inmate at the state penitentiary in Rawlins.
The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office and Jackson lawyer Mel Orchard, who represents the former inmate, both declined to release the payment amount, saying they had agreed to keep it confidential.
However, the State Auditor’s Office turned over information about the December payment in response to a public records request filed by The Associated Press. The news agency isn’t naming the inmate who filed the lawsuit because it has a policy of not naming victims of sexual assault.
Bruce Salzburg, Wyoming attorney general, said this week he could not comment on the payment because his office had agreed not to speak about it.
Read MoreTiny Minds Team Up To Piss Away Our Tax Dollars: Laramie Wyoming Police Chief Bob Deutsch And Crazed City Prosecutor Ashley Caster Charge Three Little Kids Throwing French Fries In School As Adults With “Hurling Missles”
February 2nd, 2008
LARAMIE, WYOMING - Three 13-year-old girls accused of throwing french fries during lunchtime at their school were cited for “hurling missiles,” an adult infraction covered by city ordinances.
The principal of Laramie Junior High and a police officer had warned students during an assembly the day before the french fries’ launch that if they threw food, they had to suffer the consequences, Police Chief Bob Deutsch said. The warning came after school officials had heard rumors of an impending food fight.
“They saw it as really the planning of a riot, when you think about it,” Deutsch said.
The girls decided to test the warning, he said.
“It wasn’t a spontaneous thing — a couple of kids giggling, throwing a french fry at each other,” Deutsch said. “They intended on getting everybody involved in this and starting something that no doubt would have the potential of getting out of control.”
Read MoreMore Child Sex Victims Found In Case Of Former Wyoming Fire Chief Gary Scott
December 14th, 2007
GILLETTE, WYOMING - A Gillette lawyer says he has found several more sexual assault victims while investigating the possibility of a civil lawsuit connected to criminal molestation charges against former fire chief Gary Scott.
Jeremy Michaels would not specify how many youths his investigation has found except to say the firm has spoken with “probably a dozen and I’m confident there are numerous claimants.”
Federal prosecutors have charged Scott with 12 counts of crossing state lines to have sex with a minor. The charges involve four boys. The trial date has been postponed until March.
Michaels’ law firm, Michaels and Michaels, represents the first fire department cadet who first stepped forward with accusations against Scott. His firm and the Spence Law Firm in Jackson each had received a number of inquiries from alleged victims and their parents to discuss what recourse they had.
Read MoreLawsuit Charges Cody Police And Park County Wyoming Sheriff’s Department With Man’s Broken Arm, Denial Of Medical Care
December 12th, 2007
CODY, WYOMING - A former inmate has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was injured during his arrest three years ago and was denied medical care during his weeklong incarceration in the Park County jail.
Rudolf Dehaan, who is listed in separate parts of the complaint as a resident of both Park County and Worland, claims his previously broken arm was broken again during his arrest Oct. 29, 2004, for a reported violation an order of protection.
The complaint filed Oct. 16 in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne lists as defendants the Cody Police Department and the Park County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief, sheriff also named
It also names as defendants Cody Police Chief Perry Rockvam and Park County Sheriff Scott Steward as individuals, as well as in their supervisory capacities, and names former Officer Torin Chambers as the arresting officer alleged to have injured Dehaan.
Chambers is no longer with the Cody Police Department, and it is unclear whether he was involved in Dehaan’s arrest.
Wyoming Settles Lawsuit After State Prison Guards Listen In On Confidential Attorney Client Communications
October 6th, 2007
CHEYENNE, WYOMING — The Wyoming Department of Corrections has agreed that investigators and staff at state prisons will respect the confidentiality of communications between inmates and their lawyers.
The department adopted a new policy this week in response to a lawsuit filed by Stephen Pevar, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union. Pevar had represented all inmates at the state prison in Rawlins in a separate federal lawsuit over prison conditions there.
Pevar sued the state in federal court in August claiming that a lieutenant at the Rawlins prison had interrogated inmate Ryan Forney about what Pevar had told him.
In court papers, Pevar argued that prison administrators “have authorized prison employees to interrogate prisoners in order to uncover their attorney-client communications, information that these prison officials have no right to gather.”
Pevar and the state filed a proposed settlement of the lawsuit on Tuesday with U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer. The judge hasn’t yet acted on it.
Read MoreLawsuit Settled After Wyoming State Police Trooper Justin Minard Beats Handcuffed Motorist, Previously Charged After ‘Physical Altercation’ With Restrained Female Inmate At Platte County Jail
October 6th, 2007
CHEYENNE, WYOMING — A state trooper who recently settled a lawsuit for alleged excessive force in 2005 is the same trooper accused of mistreating an inmate at the Platte County jail last June.
Trooper Justin Minard, 34, last month agreed to pay $15,000 to a man he handcuffed, pepper sprayed and allegedly struck in the face with a collapsible baton during a drunken-driving stop.
Last December, Minard was charged with two felonies, two misdemeanors and placed on administrative leave after a physical altercation involving a restrained female inmate at the Platte County jail. The charges were later dropped.
In addition, court records show that Minard received four prior complaints about his “attitude,” and that Wyoming Highway Patrol Capt. Willie Price as early as 2002 concluded: “I think it might be time for a little attitude adjustment.”
Read MoreDisgraced And Fired Teton County Wyoming Deputy Sheriff Mark Smith Hired By Jackson Hole Police Department
September 20th, 2007
JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING - A man fired from the Teton County Sheriff’s Office in 2005 for sleeping with a confidential informant will start today as a community service officer at the Jackson Police Department.
Although Mark Smith said he’s grateful for a second chance to work in law enforcement, Jim Whalen, a captain in the sheriff’s office, did not back Jackson Police Chief Dan Zivkovich’s hiring decision. Teton County Sheriff Bob Zimmer was out of town and could not be reached for comment.
“I am in disagreement with it,” Whalen said of Zivkovich’s move to hire Smith. “I am in strong disagreement. But Dan Zivkovich is charged with managing the police department as he sees fit, and I respect his position.”
Zivkovich said Smith had endured punishment appropriate for having sex with the confidential informant.
Read MoreCheyenne Wyoming Police ‘Warned’ Husband Just Before Wife Was Killed On Stage And He Disappeared
July 16th, 2007
CHEYENNE, WYOMING – Police say they told a National Guardsman with sniper training to stop harassing his estranged wife hours before he is suspected of shooting her to death as she sang with a band in a restaurant and bar.
Police say a singer on stage was fatally shot from outside the Old Chicago restaurant in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
David Munis remains at large. The suspect, described by people who know him as a “big hunter” and an avid outdoorsman, may have headed for the woods, police said.
Robin Munis was shot in the head just after midnight Saturday as she sang with the classic-rock and country group Ty and the Twisters. Customers of the Old Chicago restaurant ran for cover.
“At first we thought it was just a speaker blowing up or something. I looked over and saw her on the floor,” Travis Brooks, who had been sitting at the bar, told the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle.
Read MoreCampbell County Wyoming Deputies Screw Up, And Charges Against More Than Six Dozen Students Dropped :)
May 31st, 2007
CAMPBELL COUNTY, WYOMING – The County Attorney’s Office will not pursue alcohol charges against more than six dozen students who were at the May 16 senior party because of miscommunications between the students and the deputies trying to round them up that night.
Deputies broke up the annual illegal party at about 11:45 p.m. During the ensuing investigation, they contacted 73 juveniles and young adults. Sheriff Bill Pownall said that the suspects told deputies that they were under the impression that they wouldn’t be ticketed if they cooperated.
As a result, charges for drinking underage were thrown out.
“It was kind of a miscommunication,” Pownall said. “We thought it was clarified, but it wasn’t. If that’s what the officer said, that’s what we’ll stand behind. During the confusion, things weren’t communicated clearly.”
Read MoreCampbell County Wyoming Deputies Spend The Evening Searching For Annual Seniors Party In Gillette, Hoping To Break It Up - Arrive As Everyone’s Leaving :)
May 20th, 2007
GILLETTE, WYOMING – The Sheriff’s Office incorrectly reported when deputies broke up the senior party Wednesday night.
Undersheriff Scott Matheny told The News-Record during Thursday morning’s press briefing that the party was reported at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Deputies did receive a report of a party at that time. However, it was from a woman on Fairview Road — east of Gillette — who thought the senior party was happening near her, said Sheriff Bill Pownall.
The party turned out to have taken place off Deer Run Road west of the city.
The woman’s report was one of several that deputies received throughout the night from Campbell County residents alert for the annual senior party, Pownall said.
“We were getting calls and sending deputies in all different directions of the county,” Pownall said.
Read MoreDoh! Casper Wyoming And Natrona County Rescue Units Called In To Save A Dummy
May 10th, 2007
CASPER, WYOMING - The response was quick and complete: When a passer-by called Tuesday to report a worker dangling from a Western Area Power Administration tower 150 feet in the air, authorities responded by sending Casper Fire-EMS rescue and command units, two Natrona County sheriff’s vehicles, a fire protection district rescue unit and a Life Flight helicopter.
All to rescue a dummy.
Dave Neumayer, district manager for the power company, said the rescue dummy had been suspended from the tower last week as part of a training exercise. Lightning slowed plans to remove the dummy from the tower.
The passer-by couldn’t have known that. But Neumayer said the Casper Fire-EMS Department should have known _ they participated in the training exercise.
Former Rawlins Wyoming Police Officer Lee Meacham Faces Sexual Assault Lawsuit From Teen In “Ride-Along” Program
April 12th, 2007
RAWLINS, WYOMING – A former Rawlins police officer faces a lawsuit in federal court that alleges he had inappropriate sexual encounters with teenager involved in a “ride-along” program a decade ago.
In addition to Lee Meacham, who is also a former Carbon County commissioner, named in the lawsuit are the city of Rawlins and five “John Does.”
The alleged victim, who is now working as an emergency medical technician in Iraq, had been living most recently in Florida. The lawsuit was filed on her behalf by Rawlins attorney Frederick Harrison and Casper attorney John Robinson on Friday in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne.
The lawsuit claims the woman’s civil rights were violated when Meacham sexually assaulted her three times, once while he was on duty and in his Rawlins Police Department patrol car.
Read MoreWyoming Police Notify Wrong Family Of Woman’s Death
April 12th, 2007
MILLS, WYOMING – Jennifer Jordan, 25, was the first one in her family to graduate college. She worked as a nurse on the fourth floor at Wyoming Medical Center, and loved her job. She loved horses too, was getting back into barrel racing, and had just purchased a horse of her own last week.
She died in a car accident Saturday, and since then the horse has been given a name — Jen’s Dream — her boyfriend Tyler Johnson said. Jen’s Dream now belongs to her two children, Sondra Jordan, 3, and J.D. Jordan, 2, who Johnson vowed would never forget the woman he loved.
But authorities at the scene of the accident didn’t know any of that. All they knew about the victim was that she was Jennifer Jordan of Casper.
That lack of information and a highly improbable series of coincidences led to the wrong Casper family being notified of the death of the wrong Jennifer Jordan.
Read MorePocatello Wyoming Police Officer Leaves Keys In Patrol Car - Latter Found Smashed Into Parked Car
March 27th, 2007
POCATELLO, WYOMING – Pocatello Police say having one of their cruisers stolen this weekend was due to human error. A police cruiser was stolen early Saturday morning after an officer responded to a disturbance and fight near Center and Fourth streets in Pocatello.
Police Chief Ed Guthrie says the officer arrived and saw that immediate attention was needed and left the cruiser unlocked with the keys still in it.
The cruiser was found a few minutes later crashed into a parked car. Chief Guthrie says it was a mistake that shouldn’t have happened and they’re making sure it doesn’t happen again.
They do have a man in custody and they’re currently questioning him.
Teton County Fair Streaker Sentenced - Unarmed And Naked, He Was Assaulted With Taser Weapon By Teton County Wyoming Deputy Sheriff
March 25th, 2007
JACKSON, WYOMING - A man arrested for streaking during the Teton County Fair’s annual demolition derby must volunteer 40 hours of service to this year’s fair, under a plea agreement a judge approved.
Seamus McKinney, 25, also will be placed on a year of supervised probation.
The demolition derby is always the last event at the fair. A rash of streaking at the derby over the last couple of years has led to arrests and warnings from police that anyone caught streaking would face severe penalties.
In 2005, a sheriff’s deputy used a Taser to subdue a man who was running naked through the arena with a fire extinguisher. In 2006, the same deputy repeatedly punched a streaking man after the man lowered his shoulder and ran into the officer.
Read MoreCampbell County Wyoming Deputy Sheriff, Captain Roy Seeman, Arrested From Drunk Driving
March 24th, 2007
DEADWOOD, WYOMING – A local sheriff’s captain is facing a drunken driving charge after he was caught drinking and driving in Deadwood, S.D.
Deadwood Police picked up Capt. Roy Seeman at about 12:33 a.m. March 11, according to police records and Seeman himself.
Seeman would not comment on any of the specifics in the case because it’s still pending. He is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Lawrence County Circuit Court.
“This is extremely difficult,” Seeman said. “I’m very upset because of the way it’s going to reflect on the department and the officers that work there. I’ve spent 22 years trying to do the best job I could … and this is an embarrassing situation for me personally and professionally.”
Seeman said he told Sheriff Bill Pownall and Undersheriff Scott Matheny immediately after the incident. He said he does not know of any pending disciplinary action against him.
Read MoreCounty Sheriff’s Wrestle Feds For Ultimate Control In State, Win, And Demand Feds Say Away Unless They Intend To Operate In Conformance With Constitutional Law
February 17th, 2007
WYOMING – The duly elected sheriff of a county is the highest law enforcement official within a county. He has law enforcement powers that exceed that of any other state or federal official.
This is settled law that most people are not aware of.
County sheriffs in Wyoming have scored a big one for the 10th Amendment and states rights. The sheriffs slapped a federal intrusion upside the head and are insisting that all federal law enforcement officers and personnel from federal regulatory agencies must clear all their activity in a Wyoming County with the Sheriff’s Office. Deja vu for those who remember big Richard Mack in Arizona.
Bighorn County Sheriff Dave Mattis spoke at a press conference following a recent U.S. District Court decision (Case No. 2:96-cv-099-J (2006)) and announced that all federal officials are forbidden to enter his county without his prior approval ……
Read MoreUinta County Wyoming Jailer Todd Hoover Charged With Sexually Assaulting Two Female Inmates, Bringing Them Drugs
February 5th, 2007
EVANSTON, WYOMING - A Uinta County detention officer was arrested Monday on charges of delivering drugs to and sexually assaulting two female jail inmates.
According to court documents, Todd Hoover acknowledged having sexual contact with the two women and to giving them Percocet, a prescription painkiller, during December and January.
Hoover does not have a listed phone number and couldn’t be reached for comment. Court papers did not identify where he lives. It wasn’t clear whether he was represented by an attorney.
Hoover was fired on Jan. 12 for what Sheriff Lou Napoli called “inappropriate sexual behavior.” Napoli’s department asked the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Department to investigate whether Hoover broke any laws, and Lincoln County Attorney Eric Phillips filed the charges.
“I fully support the decision made by the special prosecutor in this matter to bring criminal charges against this individual,” Napoli said.
Read MoreStates Join Maine In Revolt Against Police State Real ID, Challenge The National (ID Card) Driver’s License
February 4th, 2007
WASHINGTON, DC - A revolt against a national driver’s license, begun in Maine last month, is quickly spreading to other states.
The Maine Legislature on Jan. 26 overwhelmingly passed a resolution objecting to the Real ID Act of 2005. The federal law sets a national standard for driver’s licenses and requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases.
Within a week of Maine’s action, lawmakers in Georgia, Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington state also balked at Real ID. They are expected soon to pass laws or adopt resolutions declining to participate in the federal identification network.
“It’s the whole privacy thing,” said Matt Sundeen, a transportation analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures. “A lot of legislators are concerned about privacy issues and the cost. It’s an estimated $11 billion implementation cost.”
The law’s supporters say it is needed to prevent terrorists and illegal immigrants from getting fake identification cards.
Read MoreUinta County Wyoming Sheriff’s Department Detention Officer Fired Amid Investigation Into Sex With Inmate
January 30th, 2007
GREEN RIVER, WYOMING - Uinta County Sheriff Lou Napoli fired a male detention officer earlier this month for allegedly having sex with one or more inmates.
Sheriff’s Lt. Tom Saprony said Monday the incident was under investigation to determine whether any laws had been broken. He wouldn’t give the fired jailer’s name, citing the investigation.
In a news release, Napoli said the investigation began with an anonymous tip and that officers determined that the detention officer had engaged in “inappropriate sexual behavior.” He said even though authorities haven’t determined whether any laws were broken, the officer’s actions violated departmental rules and is grounds for termination. The officer was fired on Jan. 12.
Saprony wouldn’t say whether the allegations involved only one inmate or multiple inmates, but said there was no indication that any other detention officers were involved.
Read MoreUinta County Wyoming Jailer Fired After Sex With Inmates
January 26th, 2007
GREEN RIVER, WYOMING - A Uinta County detention officer has been dismissed after allegedly having sex with a jail inmate, according to county law enforcement officials.
Officials said the detention officer was fired Jan. 12 after investigators determined there had been sexual contact between inmates and the officer. An independent investigation into the incident has been launched, officials said.
The disclosure comes as state lawmakers debate a proposed bill in the Legislature that would prohibit both prison guards, volunteers or any person in position of power at correction facilities from having sexual activity with those under their supervision.
The bill was developed after a Wheatland jury in March acquitted a guard who’d been charged with second-degree sexual assault for an alleged sexual encounter with an inmate. The defendant in the case alleged the sex was consensual and therefore not against the law.
Read MoreThird-World Vermin Face Life Sentences for Sex Trafficking Of 13 Year Old Girl Smuggled From Mexico To Wyoming - Celebrate Diversity And Porous U.S. Borders!
January 24th, 2007
JACKSON, WYOMING – Three Mexican men — two of them illegal aliens — face the possibility of life in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking a 13-year-old girl in Jackson, Wyoming.
The guilty pleas were announced on Friday by US Attorney Matthew H. Mead, District of Wyoming.
Jacobo Dominguez Vazquez, 33; Jose Luis Chavez, 42; and Braulio Aniceto Velez, 21; all Mexican nationals, entered their guilty pleas before US District Court Judge Clarence A. Brimmer, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Dominguez Vazquez is a permanent resident of the United States while the other two men reside in the US illegally.
The FBI investigation revealed that the girl was smuggled into the United States from Mexico specifically for prostitution. She was transported to Jackson through Phoenix in March 2004.
Read MoreRock Springs Wyoming Mother Files Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit Against Police After Man’s Wrongful Death
December 10th, 2006
ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING - The mother of a Rock Springs man who died in police custody here 30 months ago is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against seven officers, one federal official and the city.
Following a foot chase and bloody alleyway brawl during a predawn rainstorm, no lawman or municipality had ever been formally accused of violating Travis W. Posselt’s civil rights.
Posselt, 30, was pronounced dead upon arrival at Sweetwater Memorial Hospital at 1:40 a.m. on May 28, 2004, records show.
Last July, Sweetwater County Prosecuting Attorney Jason Petri officially closed the case, clearing all law enforcement officers involved after ruling Posselt died of an accidental methamphetamine-related overdose.
A civil lawsuit is neither a conviction nor an admission of guilt. And none of the officers or officials named in the lawsuit has addressed its allegations either publicly or in court.
Read MoreMan Stopped With 25 Pounds Of Cocaine Escapes In Unmarked Wyoming State Investigators Car Before He’s Even Identified By Wyoming Highway Patrol Officer Who Stopped Him
November 3rd, 2006
GREEN RIVER, WYOMING – Authorities were searching Wednesday for a man arrested for transporting 25 pounds of cocaine who escaped from a Wyoming Highway Patrol car and stole a state investigator’s unmarked vehicle late Tuesday night in Rock Springs.
Highway Patrol officials said the cocaine seized in a traffic stop on Interstate 80 was valued at $1.1 million.
Patrol spokesman Sgt. Stephen Townsend said officers were unable to determine the name of the male suspect before he escaped. A second suspect in the case, a woman, is being held at the Sweetwater County Detention Facility on felony drug charges.
Townsend said the patrol is asking for the public’s help in locating the missing vehicle, a gold 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix.
“We have no idea if he’s still in the area or not… The car hasn’t shown up yet ,and I bet it’s been abandoned somewhere,” Townsend said in a phone interview Wednesday. He said the suspect could possibly still be handcuffed.
Read MorePlatte County Wyoming Jail Officer Glen Dunham Pleads Guilty After Sex With Inmate
November 1st, 2006
WHEATLAND, WYOMING – A former Platte County jail officer has pleaded guilty to reduced charges in connection with allegations that he had sex with an inmate.
As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Glen Dunham, 38, pleaded guilty in Platte County District Court last week to felony mistreatment of an inmate in an institution.
Dunham had been charged with two felony counts of second-degree sexual assault, felony mistreatment of a person in an institution, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. A jury trial had been set for Nov. 6.
According to the original court documents, prosecutors said Dunham had sex with a female inmate while he was a deputy at the Platte County Detention Center. He also took some mail from the inmate, allowed others to read it and then questioned her about its explicit content, prosecutors said.
Read MoreDebate Begins After Teton County Deputy Beats Naked Streaker At County Fair Demolition Derby - Last Year An Unarmed Streaker Was Tasered - Extra Police Brought In This Year To Clamp Down On The Streakers Which Have Become A Tradition At Fair
August 2nd, 2006
JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING – The streaker trips and dashes across the arena floor before charging headfirst into a sheriff’s deputy.
They fall to the ground and a struggle ensues. The deputy delivers one, two, three quick punches to the streaker’s side, then three more forceful hits to the same area. Handcuffs finally applied, the scuffle stops and the three cops in the fray ease up.
For the countless who witnessed the streaker’s encounter with law enforcement first-hand at Teton County Fair’s Demolition Derby or watched the video of it, the debate is just beginning.
“I was a bit shocked by the violence of it,” said Bonnie Voorhees, who witnessed the streaker’s arrest with her three grandchildren, who were frightened by the ordeal. “That’s what scared them,” she said of the kids ages 10, 5 and 2, “when the audience got up to boo and the cop was hitting him.”
Others also complained of excessive force used during the arrest, which led to a felony charge of assaulting an officer against the event’s first of two streakers. “With three or four cops there, you don’t repeatedly need to punch him,” said John Franklin, a 25-year-old server.
Sheridan Wyoming Police Officers Chris Dahmke and James Arzy Lose Pay, Vacation, Promotion, For Roles In Political Traffic Stop Of Mayor
August 1st, 2006
SHERIDAN, WYOMING - A police lieutenant gave up four weeks of vacation time and opportunities for promotion, and a patrol officer accepted a week of unpaid leave, for their roles in a traffic stop of the mayor that some said was politically motivated.
Lt. Chris Dahmke and Patrol Officer James Arzy held a news conference Monday morning to disclose the terms of their discipline for their roles in the July 9, 2005, stop of Mayor Dave Kinskey.
Dahmke agreed to forfeit 20 days of vacation and to neither apply for nor accept promotion until he had completed 40 days of training, or until Nov. 30.
Arzy also agreed to 40 days of training and a one-week suspension without pay.
The discipline stems from the circumstances surrounding the traffic stop. A third officer, Detective Chris Cook, called while off duty to report he’d seen Kinskey drinking at a party and stumbling on his way to his car. Dahmke took the call, and Arzy pulled Kinskey over.
Read MoreTeton County Wyoming Sheriff Bob Zimmer Backs Deputy Sheriff Todd Stanyon After He Beats Naked Streaker At Demolition Derby
August 1st, 2006
TETON, WYOMING – Teton County Sheriff Bob Zimmer said Monday a deputy hitting a streaker four times in the back was an acceptable use of force to effect his arrest at the Demo Derby.
After watching video of the arrest posted on www.redneckracing.com, Zimmer said Monday morning he didn’t see any problems with Deputy Todd Stanyon’s actions.
“I think his behavior and apprehension was very appropriate,” Zimmer said.
Some spectators complained about Stanyon hitting the streaker after the naked man charged the deputy and the two fell to the ground. But Zimmer said Stanyon was trying to place handcuffs on the man who was resisting arrest.
“The suspect sustained no injuries and hopefully he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Zimmer said.
Read MoreJail guard freed after admitting to sex with inmate - Acquittal raises grave concerns about female prisoner safety
March 4th, 2006
WYOMING, CHEYENNE - Platte County Attorney Eric Alden said he was shocked when a jury acquitted a jail guard who acknowledged having a sexual relationship with a female inmate.
Amnesty International USA virtually predicted it.
Amnesty released a report Wednesday saying many states don’t do enough to protect women in prisons and jails from being sexually assaulted by guards and other employees. Wyoming, the report says, was one of three states where officers could use the inmate’s consent as a defense.
That same day, a jury in Platte County acquitted former Platte County jail guard Jeremy King on two charges of second-degree sexual assault. When he took the stand in his own defense, King didn’t deny that he had intercourse with the inmate, but he said she had flirted with him and had initiated the sexual contact.
*
“To me it was hideously shocking to hear this man describe being the employee in the jail and engaging in sexual intercourse with inmates under his charge,” Alden said. “And to imagine that there is any level of consent that would excuse that kind of conduct is shocking. This is not a dating service. This is a jail.”
Corrections Deputy Sheriff Fired After Excessive Use Of Force
February 15th, 2006
WYOMING, GOSHEN COUNTY - A detention deputy is no longer employed at the Goshen County Sheriffs Department due to inappropriate actions in a pair of incidents at the end of January.
According to Sheriff Don Murphy, two separate incidents occurred in the booking room of the Sheriffs Department during the early morning hours of Jan. 28 and the late evening hours of Jan. 31, in which inappropriate use of force was used by a detention deputy on arrestees that were being booked. Both arrests were alcohol related.
Murphy investigated both incidents and the deputy was suspended after the tapes were reviewed.
?After I reviewed the tapes and suspended the deputy, Undersheriff Jim Lowry, Captain Brian Moorehouse and myself reviewed the investigation for about a week and made a determination as to what to do with the deputy. He is no longer employed here.?
Read MoreOne of two Police Officers who Hassled Mayor Kinskey Resigning From Department
December 2nd, 2005
WYOMING, SHERIDAN - One police officer involved in pulling over Mayor Dave Kinskey on suspicion of driving under the influence will resign, but another will remain on the force.
Kinskey didn’t test close to the legal limit for driving after he was pulled over July 9, prompting some to question the officers’ motives.
On Thursday, the Sheridan Police Commission approved settlements for detective Christopher Cook, 37, and Lt. Chris Dahmke, 38. Cook will resign, possibly taking an entry level firefighter position with Sheridan Fire-Rescue, while Dahmke will remain on the force.
“In the end, I had to do what’s best for me and my family. That’s my first concern,” Cook said. “I think the Police Commission has been fair to us.”
A third officer, James Arzy, 40, reached a confidential settlement about two weeks ago. He maintained that the officers did nothing wrong when they pulled Kinskey over.
Read MoreWitness for State in Sex Abuse Case, Alledged Victim, Found Murdered Days Before Testifying in Court
November 6th, 2005
WYOMING, GILLETTE - Days before the 16-year-old was expected to testify against his mother’s ex-husband in a sex-abuse case — Chavers was found dead in his bedroom, a single gunshot wound to the head.
Authorities believe he died in a bizarre murder plot arranged by the former husband, Kent Proffit Sr.
The alleged plot has shocked this mining community, where killings are rare.
But even more shocking is the story that has since begun to emerge: that of Proffit, a middle-aged man accused of sex offenses who allegedly persuaded two young men who lived with him to kill Chavers in return for protection from a drug dealer.
The investigation also led authorities to a second body, that of another teen who briefly lived in the same trailer as Proffit.
“That something like that could happen in our community is pretty amazing to people,” Mayor Duane Evenson said.
Read MoreStreaker at Rodeo Grounds Assaulted by Police with TASER
August 8th, 2005
WYOMING, JACKSON HOLE - Fun turned to stunned just after sundown Sunday when a streaker was “tasered” by cops at the 2005 Demolition Derby.
About 3,400 on-lookers — including families and children — got more than the usual clouds of rodeo dirt and souped-up hot rods ramming into one another when, moments before the winner-takes-all round, a naked man leapt from the stands holding a red fire extinguisher and raced around the rodeo pit, eluding police while attempting to spray fans in the grandstand.
Spectators cheered the nudist as two Jackson Hole police and a sheriff?s deputy gave hot pursuit on foot. They finally took the man down when the deputy fired a taser dart into the streaker?s right shoulder blade.
The tasering provoked catcalls and boos as the nudist quivered and shook before falling and writhing facedown in the dirt for several seconds. As the arresting peace officers lifted and cuffed the naked man?s hands behind his back, urine trickled down the streaker?s front.
Read MorePolice Taser Streaker At Demolition Derby, Spectators Near Unanimous In Disapproval at Police Tactics
August 8th, 2005
WYOMING, JACKSON HOLE - Fun turned to stunned just after sundown Sunday when a streaker was “tasered” by cops at the 2005 Demolition Derby.
About 3,400 on-lookers — including families and children — got more than the usual clouds of rodeo dirt and souped-up hot rods ramming into one another when, moments before the winner-takes-all round, a naked man leapt from the stands holding a red fire extinguisher and raced around the rodeo pit, eluding police while attempting to spray fans in the grandstand.
Spectators cheered the nudist as two Jackson Hole police and a sheriff?s deputy gave hot pursuit on foot. They finally took the man down when the deputy fired a taser dart into the streaker?s right shoulder blade.
The tasering provoked catcalls and boos as the nudist quivered and shook before falling and writhing facedown in the dirt for several seconds. As the arresting peace officers lifted and cuffed the naked man?s hands behind his back, urine trickled down the streaker?s front.
Read MoreEx-Police Officer Commits Suicide after Threats to Woman and Her Son
July 19th, 2004
WYOMING, CHEYENNE - A former police officer apparently committed suicide after threatening an ex-girlfriend and her 14-year-old son, police said.
The woman and her son were not harmed, although both were bound or restrained in the incident Thursday night inside a two-story house in a quiet neighborhood.
Ronald Stockdale, 46, was a Cheyenne police officer for seven months, leaving in June 2003 before completing the year-long probationary period, Lt. Rob Korber said.
Stockdale had lived with the woman for a time but moved out two months ago, police said.
The woman told police that Stockdale forced his way into the house Thursday, tied her up in a storage room and attempted to sexually assault her. Her son was handcuffed in a separate bedroom.
She then called police after Stockdale shot himself with a handgun, police said.
Read MoreSettlement in Riverton Police Home Invasion and Terrorizing Family Case
May 1st, 2004
WYOMING, RIVERTON - A family’s federal lawsuit accusing the City of Riverton’s police of illegally invading their home and terrorizing them at gunpoint has been settled for an undisclosed amount, according to the family’s attorney and court documents.
The city’s mayor and police chief also apologized to the family of John E. Moore for the incident on Sept. 20, 2002, said Casper lawyer John Robinson, who represented the family.
About 9 p.m. that night, six Riverton police officers knocked on the door of the Moore residence. Moore, his daughter Nicole Gadway, 17, and Moore’s children John B., 12, and Breanna, 10, were all home, according to the lawsuit filed by Robinson and Casper lawyer Michael Krampner.
Moore got up from watching television, answered the door and was confronted by armed gunmen who ordered him at gunpoint out of his home and to the front yard, according to the lawsuit.
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