CHEYENNE, WY—One person was killed and a sheriff's deputy was injured during an incident Monday night in east Cheyenne.
Deputies with the Laramie County Sheriff's Office attempted to serve a warrant in the 6900 block of Horse Soldier Road just before 8 p.m., according to an official post on LCSO's Facebook page.
"Shots were exchanged between deputies and the suspect," per the post, timestamped 10:47 p.m. that night. This is the third officer-involved shooting in Laramie County this year.
The deputy who was shot was taken to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center by ambulance, according to local law enforcement. The deputy was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Danny Glick told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Glick declined to name the deputy, citing privacy concerns.
A Tuesday afternoon Facebook update from LCSO said the male suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Glick declined to answer how the suspect was killed.
No one else was injured or killed in the incident, Glick told the WTE.
The sheriff declined to say what the warrant was for, nor did he want to comment on why a warrant was being served on Halloween night.
"I know there will come a time when we will release the information that led to us being there," Glick said.
The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. LCSO said any questions about the investigation should be directed to DCI.
There is currently no ongoing threat to the public, according to the sheriff's office.
On May 28, at least one member of the Cheyenne Police/Laramie County Joint SWAT Team shot and killed a suspect out of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, who was reportedly wanted on charges that included second-degree murder. Officers had located the man in a local residence and killed the suspect, Davin Darayle Saunders, after he "pulled a firearm," according to a Cheyenne Police Department news release from the time.
On April 2, an LCSO deputy shot and killed 31-year-old Rance Tillman of Cheyenne, reportedly following a "slow-speed pursuit," a news release said at the time. Tillman was apparently a suspect in a prior assault. In such earlier incidents, the WTE's official requests for documentation have either been rejected or have not been fulfilled.
Investigations of both incidents are in progress by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, that agency said. DCI was responding to a request for public records by the WTE earlier this month.
Sheriff's candidates
Two candidates to replace Glick as sheriff made statements regarding the latest shooting on their campaign Facebook pages.
Independent Jeff Barnes, a former LCSO deputy, commented that it was "another tragic shooting tonight." He wrote that "each day, our officers place their lives on the line to protect and serve the people of Laramie County and, after an incident such as this, we are not only reminded of how dangerous this line of work can be, but we are also extremely grateful for the work our officers do to keep our communities safe. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those involved."
Republican Brian Kozak, who previously served as Cheyenne police chief, posted his statement just before 9 a.m. Tuesday.
"I am saddened to learn there has been another shooting with a death in our community, and a deputy sheriff has been injured," Kozak's post read. "There are many people impacted by this incident that will need assistance.
"We need to show support for the deputy, deputy's family and law enforcement, who continue to do a tough job," the post continued. "The neighbors who live near the incident will need someone to talk to, and should reach out to law enforcement victim advocates to ensure assistance is made available to them. In time, we will learn more facts about the incident and respond to address the concerns of those impacted."
Barnes and Kozak will face off with Democratic candidate Jess Fresquez in the Nov. 8 general election.
Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at [email protected] or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack.
___
(c)2022 Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.)
Visit Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.) at www.wyomingnews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
