Initial shooting review expected to be complete in 30 days
GILLETTE (WNE) — Crook County Attorney Joseph Baron said his office’s initial review of a Gillette officer-involved shooting is expected to be completed in the next 30 days.
Baron was named this week as special deputy county attorney in charge of reviewing the Nov. 13 shooting that involved an officer of the Gillette Police Department and Cody William Amman, 31, who was shot and killed in the incident.
Following the shooting, the unnamed officer was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Gillette Police Department and Baron all declined to name the officer involved in the shooting.
“Not at this time, and I may never do so,” Baron said in an email about identifying the officer.
Gillette Police Lt. Brent Wasson said Thursday the officer is expected to return to a restricted duty assignment next week.
At the same County Commission meeting where Baron was appointed, Deputy Campbell County Attorney Jenny Staeben said that the County Attorney’s Office couldn’t do the review because it has “conflicted out of it.”
“Either we’ve been involved in the prosecution of the deceased or the defense of the deceased,” she said.
From information about the incident that has been released so far, Amman, 31, reportedly shot at a Gillette police officer who then returned fire.
Amman was hit twice in the upper body with one of the shots to his left lung being fatal, Campbell County Coroner Paul Wallem has said.
Shooting in Lovell leaves one in hospital, one in custody
POWELL (WNE) — A man was in critical condition after being shot multiple times in Lovell early Sunday morning, police said.
The suspect — who has not yet been publicly identified — was taken into custody hours later off the Greybull highway, east of Cody.
According to Lovell Police Chief Dan Laffin, the shooting occurred shortly after midnight in the 400 block of Nevada Avenue.
“Multiple shots were fired,” Laffin said, “with several of them striking the victim at close range.”
While not releasing any details about the circumstances surrounding the attack, Laffin said “the suspect and victim were known to each other” and that there was “no threat to the citizens of Lovell or the surrounding communities.”
Lovell police arrived at the scene within minutes, he said, but the suspect had already fled. While multiple law enforcement agencies began looking for the suspect, an ambulance and medical personnel from North Big Horn Hospital arrived “and provided life saving medical care,” Laffin said.
After initially being treated at the Lovell hospital, the unidentified man was flown to a facility in Billings for additional treatment.
Laffin said it was his understanding that the man was “in critical but stable condition” on Sunday.
As for the assailant, Laffin said the man was “located and captured in Park County ... through exceptional communication and coordination” between his department and the Park County Sheriff’s Office, the Cody Police Department, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
Park County Sheriff Scott Steward said his office, Cody police and the highway patrol arrested the suspect off of U.S. Highway 14/16/20 in a joint operation, which took place around 6:45 a.m. Sunday.
Laffin said the suspect will face “multiple felony charges.”
In-patient services resume at Riverton hospital
RIVERTON (WNE) — In-patient services have resumed at the SageWest Health Care Riverton hospital.
Hospital administrators said an initiative by Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has provided supplemental staffing resources to support the influx of hospital patients due to the rapid acceleration of COVID-19 in the community.
“We would like to thank Gov. Gordon’s initiative, the Department of Health and the Wyoming Hospital Association for their staffing resource support,” SageWest Health Care CEO John Ferrelli said in a prepared statement.
All patients temporarily had been moved to Lander earlier this month.
Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and recent statewide hospitalizations, last week Gordon issued a statewide public-health order requiring the use of face coverings in almost all places outside of the home.
SageWest Health Care urged community members to wear face masks or cloth face coverings in public areas where social distancing is not easily achieved and use proper hand hygiene in an effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
“We call upon everyone to lead by example – wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, practice social distancing, and avoid group gatherings,” Ferrelli said. “Together, we can make a difference.”