UPDATE: Deadly Shootout With Cheyenne Cops Was Triggered By Gunshots, Screaming
CHEYENNE — A suspect was killed during a shootout with police Friday evening, the Cheyenne Police Department reports.
The man, identified only as an adult male, was killed when he exchanged gunfire with police who responded at about 6:30 p.m. to a report of a domestic argument involving firearms in a home near the 5200 block of Fishing Bridge, according to a CPD incident report.
Initially, CPD advised people to “avoid the area” because of “the nature of the call” which resulted in “a heavy law enforcement presence.”
An update posted to the department’s Facebook page later said no officers were hurt, and the investigation into the officer-involved shooting “has been turned over to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, a third-party state agency, to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation — which remains ongoing.”
No other information was released and future updates will come from DCI.
In a thread of more than 160 comments on the CPD report posted to Facebook, sentiments ranged from concern for the mental well-being of the officer to sympathy for the family of the suspect.
One commenter claiming to be a cousin of the man asked for people to reserve judgment. “He’s someone’s family. He was a sweet person with such a huge heart. (heart emoji) this is heart breaking.”
Another offered “prayers (for) … the officers involved. No call to service is ever easy, and I pray for all involved.”
Many expressed thanks to the Cheyenne Police Department “for keeping our community safe.”
A Week After Burying One Of Their Own
Friday’s officer-involved shooting comes a week after law enforcement agencies from across the state — including Cheyenne and Laramie County — turned out in force to bury a Wyoming police officer killed in the line of duty.
Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee was memorialized and buried March 1 to the largest turnout the northern Wyoming town has ever had in memory. An estimated 1,000 police officers from across Wyoming and the United States turned out and dozens of patrol vehicles escorted his body to a public memorial at Sheridan College.
Krinkee was shot and killed Feb. 13 while serving an eviction order. The suspect fled and later faced off with police in a 32-hour standoff before being shot and killed himself trying to flee the scene.
Krinkee’s was the first Sheridan Police Department officer to die in the line of duty and the first in Wyoming since 1997.
The Friday officer-involved shooting in Cheyenne is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
