Multiple Casper Police Officers have been involved in a multi-agency incident that occurred in Evansville, Wyoming on March 18th and 19th, 2022.
In the early evening hours of March 18th, 2022, in the process of an attempt to serve a felony arrest warrant on a suspect in the 400 Block of 5th Street, in Evansville, Wyoming, the suspect exchanged gunfire with on-scene law enforcement officers. Multiple agencies, including the Casper Police Department, responded to assist and support the officers in the ongoing incident.
Trained negotiators spent over 18 hours negotiating with the suspect in an attempt to bring a peaceful resolution to the incident. Throughout that time, the suspect fired his weapon on multiple occasions. In the early morning, daylight hours of March 19th, the suspect again fired upon officers, at which point, on-scene law enforcement officers returned fire.
Ultimately, shortly before 11:00am on March 19th, officers gained entry to the residence, finding the suspect deceased.
No law enforcement officers were injured as a result of this incident. No other injuries have been reported.
At this point in the investigation, four Casper Police Officers, there in support of the original incident and subsequent tactical operation, have been identified as having exchanged fire with the suspect.
The cause of death of the suspect has not been determined and further investigation will be conducted by the Natrona County Coroner’s Office.
In accordance with the Casper Police Department’s policy, due to the involvement of Casper Police Officers in this incident, and the use of force action, the investigation has been turned over to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations, a third-party State agency. To ensure a thorough and independent investigation, The Natrona County Sheriff’s Office will also be involved in the investigation.
In accordance with the Casper Police Department’s customary protocol and dedication to the standards of our profession, the four officers involved in this incident have been placed on paid administrative leave. This action has been taken out of an abundance of caution, pending a full investigation. This protocol is in place to ensure the integrity of the investigation as well as to safeguard the mental health of the officers after a traumatic event.
The Casper Police Department remains steadfast in our efforts to maintain transparency and public confidence concerning the actions of our officers. Developing details about the incident and the ultimate findings of that investigation are the knowledge of the investigating agencies until the investigation reaches a conclusion, at which point the investigating agencies will notify the Casper Police Department. The determination concerning the justification of the discharge of weapons is the decision of the Natrona County District Attorney’s Office following the conclusion of the investigation.
In addition to this investigation, the Casper Police Department Internal Affairs Division conducts a concurrent and separate investigation concerning Department policy and procedure.
Upon conclusion of these findings and decisions, the Casper Police Department will hold a timely public news conference to discuss the incident and investigation findings.
The Department recognizes the impacts an event such as this can have on the loved ones of the deceased, the officers, and our entire community. Our condolences are with all those affected by this incident. We would like to thank the community for their support of the Department and our involved officers during this difficult time.