GILLETTE, Wyo. — Here is a summary of notable crimes in and around Gillette this past weekend, obtained through law enforcement reports compiled by the Gillette Police Department and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.
Criminal entry, Aug. 30, North Gurley Avenue, GPD
Officers responded to a residence on North Gurley Avenue around 7:19 a.m. for a report of a woman screaming and the sound of gunshots, Gillette Deputy Police Chief Brent Wasson said. A 44-year-old woman told officers she fired two rounds from a handgun in the direction of her ex-boyfriend, a 45-year-old man, who had come to her house uninvited and entered through a locked door. He screamed at the woman over property and caused her to fear for her safety, at which point the rounds were fired and the woman yelled for her son to call 911. The 45-year-old man fled the scene and has not been located as of Sept. 3.
Drugs, Aug. 30, Maple Avenue, GPD
Officers responded to Maple Avenue around 11:20 a.m. for a report of a woman huffing in the bushes near a residence. When they arrived, they found a 37-year-old woman who appeared to be under the influence and located three cans of Surf-Onn in the bushes, one of which was cold to the touch. The 37-year-old woman was cited for huffing.
Animal cruelty, Aug. 30, South Garner Lake Road, GPD
An incarcerated 37-year-old woman was cited for animal cruelty, failure to license and failure to obtain a commercial cattery license after officers responded to South Garner Lake Road to check on her 11 cats left in a camper after her arrest around 1:13 p.m., Wasson said. The woman reportedly failed to secure someone to care for the animals. A 49-year-old woman was identified as a potential caretaker by the 37-year-old woman, though she was ultimately unable to care for the animals. Animal control officers caught eight cats after responding to the camper, and the 49-year-old woman agreed to monitor live traps for the remaining animals.
Aggravated assault, Aug. 30, West 2nd Street, GPD
Officers responded to a liquor store on West 2nd Street after a 23-year-old woman, an employee, reported being threatened by an unknown man around 7:06 p.m., Wasson said. The woman said an unknown man became upset after she refused to serve him. He lifted his shirt, exposing a handgun, while threatening to kill her. The unidentified man left the store in a white Dodge Ram pickup, and the investigation is ongoing.
Breach of peace, Aug. 30, Independence Drive, GPD
A 40-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman were cited for child endangerment and their 12-year-old daughter was cited for battery following an altercation at an apartment complex on Independence Drive around 10:02 p.m., Wasson said. The man and woman reportedly took their daughter to the apartments to fight another girl over an altercation at a recent high school football game. The fight didn’t occur; however, the 12-year-old did assault a 13-year-old girl who had arrived with a 16-year-old girl and a different 12-year-old girl. The 16-year-old girl argued with the 13-year-old girl and the 40-year-old man encouraged them to fight, though the report did not say they complied. After the fight with the 12-year-old girl, the 13-year-old girl was transported to the emergency room by her parents and later released with minor injuries.
Weapon discharge, Aug. 31, Edwards Street, GPD
Officers responded to the Gillette Fishing Lake after a 12-year-old boy called to report seeing someone shoot a snapping turtle with a rifle around 7:30 p.m., Wasson said. The boy said the turtle was tossed back into the lake. The turtle was dead when officers arrived and appeared to have been shot in the head. The investigation is ongoing.
Drugs, Sept. 1, Camel Drive, CCSO
Deputies arrested a 27-year-old man for drug possession after reportedly stopping him in a Camel Drive parking lot around 1:10 p.m., Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds said. The man was operating a 1997 Ford F-250 with an expired temporary registration. During the stop, the deputy saw a baggie containing a white substance protruding from a duffel bag in the vehicle. A probable cause search yielded a bag of methamphetamine residue, three vials of steroids and a meth pipe. The man was also cited for driving without insurance and expired registration.
Theft, Sept. 1, East Lakeway Road, GPD
A 67-year-old woman called the police to East Lakeway Road around 5:01 p.m. to report a stolen hitch, Wasson said. The woman said someone stole her Camco Eaz-Lift ReCurve R6 hitch from her 2021 GMC. The hitch was valued at $675, and the investigation is ongoing.
Fraud, Sept. 2, Violet Lane, GPD
Officers responded to Violet Lane at 4:54 a.m. after a 46-year-old woman called to report falling victim to a social media scam, Wasson said. Over the previous four weeks, the woman had sent a man on TikTok four $500 gift cards after he promised to pay off the credit card she used to purchase them. The investigation is ongoing.
Fraud, Sept. 2, Vivian Court, GPD
A 34-year-old woman called the police at 1:04 p.m. after she reportedly fell victim to a rental scam, Wasson said. The woman recently moved to Gillette from Denver, Colorado, and paid a man on Facebook $1,600 to rent a residence on Vivian Court. When she arrived at Gillette, she learned the address was not real. The man’s Facebook account was connected to Sheridan County in Nebraska and officers have requested assistance from the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office.
Drugs, Sept. 2, Lakeway Road, GPD
Officers cited a 23-year-old woman for drug possession and an 18-year-old man for driving without a license following a traffic stop near Butler Spaeth Road and Lakeway Road around 3:27 p.m., Wasson said. The vehicle, a 2015 Kia, was stopped for failing to yield the right of way, and a drug dog reportedly indicated on the vehicle. A subsequent search yielded a delta-8 container with 2 grams of suspected THC in the woman’s purse. There were several prescription medications in the vehicle that were not prescribed to either occupant, but they were not controlled substances and were logged into evidence for safekeeping.
Through C17 Crime Clips, County 17 strives to provide our readers with the most detailed and comprehensive list of law enforcement interactions with the citizens of Gillette and Campbell County; however, some information will be withheld to protect the victims’ identities and to avoid compromising ongoing criminal investigations.
