The city of Sheridan is considering giving $250,000 to a woman whose home was destroyed in a February police standoff and shootout, if she agrees not to pursue any other claims against the city.
The Sheridan City Council discussed the settlement with its attorney at a public meeting Tuesday, but did not take a vote. The homeowner, Karo Hamilton, signed the settlement May 22, according to a copy of it attached to the meeting material.
The city did not vote on the agreement, but is scheduled to do so at a its June 3 meeting. If it approves a payout, the city will then need to amend its budget at either the June 3 meeting or the June 17 meeting, Sheridan City Attorney Brad Timmesch told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
City Council Member Greg Luhman reiterated the city's earlier statement in his own Wednesday interview: “I just know it’s always been our goal to make this right for her.
In Ruins
Hamilton was not home Feb. 13 when William Lowery allegedly shot and killed Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee, fled law enforcement and took refuge in her home. Over the next 32 hours, officers from Sheridan and other Wyoming agencies surrounded the home, ducked Lowery’s occasional gunfire and tried to badger and coax him out of the home.
The agencies brought in an excavator to remove part of Hamilton’s house. Lowery fled, armed, and was shot to death during his escape attempt, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation reported after the incident.
The standoff had ended, but Hamilton’s home sat in ruins.
She has tallied an estimate of $490,518.20 for a rebuild of about the same size as her former home through Sheridan-based construction company Battle Scarred Services LLC, according to Tuesday meeting discussion and an estimate ledger attached to the meeting materials.
The city so far has paid for the demolition of Hamilton’s tattered home and fill for the original basement, has waived landfill fees, paid for the site survey and plan, waived the variance administration fee and building permit fees, Thimmesch told the council Tuesday.
Those waivers and contributions total about $27,000, he said.
The aftermath of a more than 30-hour standoff between police and a man suspected of killing a Sheridan police officer. (Pat Maio, Cowboy State Daily) 
The house a man suspected of shooting and killing a Sheridan police officer Tuesday barricaded himself in for more than 30 hours was torn open in several places during the standoff as law enforcement tried to get him out. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
An excavator is used to rip open a house in Sheridan where a suspected cop killer had barricaded himself. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
The house a man suspected of shooting and killing a Sheridan police officer Tuesday barricaded himself in for more than 30 hours was torn open in several places during the standoff as law enforcement tried to get him out. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
(Cowboy State Daily Staff)
What She Signed
The settlement Hamilton signed last week says the city would pay her an additional $250,000 if she agrees to seek nothing else from the city, sheriff’s office or police department of Sheridan; nor from any other Wyoming governmental entity involved in the standoff.
The city would put the money in an account managed by the Wyoming Community Development Authority and continue its waivers, but then “will no longer have any involvement with the construction of Ms. Hamilton’s new home,” Thimmesch said during his presentation summarizing the settlement.
Thimmesch said Farmer’s Insurance already has paid $217,000 toward Hamilton’s demolished home under its coverage policy, and may be contemplating more.
A representative of Farmer’s Insurance of Sheridan told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday that the company isn’t the company paying toward Hamilton’s home, but a third-party broker may have supplied a Farmer’s coverage plan to her.
Thimmesch said the insurance company has signed a waiver stipulating that it will not go after the city’s contribution.
“That ensures she’s able to use both our fund and Farmer’s funds for the construction of her new home,” Thimmesch said.
If the city signs the settlement agreement, it will have contributed about $277,000 toward Hamilton’s rebuild in return for a full release of responsibility, the attorney added.
But the direct cost of the rebuild as listed in the estimate doesn’t include the value of the fees. Hamilton’s totals from the city and insurance payouts would fall short of the estimated building cost by about $23,000 if she does not receive more support, Patceg noted during the meeting. He asked whether Hamilton would have enough money for her rebuild.
Thimmesch said volunteer labor and donations, or potentially more money from the insurance company, could help cover the difference.
Some local companies have volunteered time or resources to help Hamilton.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
