A Casper man being treated for injuries at Wyoming Medical Center on Thursday after his vehicle hit a telephone pole now faces two felony charges after he allegedly put his left fist into a Casper police officer’s face and kicked another officer in the jaw, according to an arrest affidavit.
He also faces a battery charge for grabbing a hospital employee’s arm and causing pain, the affidavit states.
Casper police officers responded to the area around 86 S. Wyoming Blvd. at 2:40 a.m. on Thursday after a caller reported a blue car had apparently hit a telephone pole. Arriving officers found Daniel Givens and “could immediately smell an order of an alcoholic beverage” coming from him, according to the affidavit.
Givens, born in 1985, was complaining of shoulder pain and taken to Banner Wyoming Medical Center for treatment. He would not submit to initial sobriety testing, the affidavit states. While being treated at the hospital, he grabbed the left bicep of an employee several times “causing pain.”
When officers warned Givens to stop balling up his fists as if he would strike people and he wouldn’t comply, the officer then handcuffed his right wrist to the bed as he attempted to sit up, the affidavit states.
“Givens then began reaching for officers with his left arm and hit (the officer) on the left side of the face, near her eye,” the document states. “Givens kept reaching with his left arm, which eventually was restrained to the bed as well. Givens then raised both legs toward his chest, then kicked (a second officer) on the left side of his jaw two times.”
After treatment and obtaining a blood draw following a search warrant, Givens was taken to the Natrona County jail.
Casper Circuit Court documents show Givens is charged with two counts of felony interference with a peace officer, two counts of misdemeanor interference with a peace officer, one count of driving under the influence, one count of driving while under suspension, and one count of battery.
Bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety. He remains in the jail.
Both felony interference counts carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The misdemeanor interference charges carry penalties of up to a year in jail and $1,000 fine or both.
If convicted, Givens faces up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $750 for the driving while under the influence charge, the driving while under suspension charge, and the battery charge — all misdemeanors.
Casper Circuity Court records show that Givens was sentenced on similar charges for driving while under the influence charge and interfering with a peace officer in November 2023 and given suspended sentences respectively of six months, and a year in jail.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
