A Fremont County man pleaded not guilty Thursday to claims that he shot another man repeatedly outside a convenience store in Ethete, Wyoming, last month.
Dustin Larson Trosper could face between 25 years and life in prison, and fines of up to $1.25 million, if convicted of two different assault charges and one gun charge, of which a grand jury indicted him Sept. 18.
Authorities sought Trosper after a reported shooting on the Wind River Indian Reservation Aug. 14. The FBI declined for weeks to give Trosper’s name or details about the case.
But the U.S. District Court for Wyoming issued a warrant for his arrest the day of his indictment, and an FBI special agent arrested him Sept. 24.
The court file does not say whether Trosper was caught or turned himself in.
‘Get … Out Of My Car’
At 10 minutes before 1 p.m. on Aug. 14, the Wind River Police Department told FBI Special Agent Alesha McFadden about a shooting that happened near the Ethete C-Store within the Wind River Indian Reservation, says an affidavit filed Aug. 16 but kept under seal until Trosper’s recent arrest.
Those involved left the scene in two vehicles: a white Hyundai Santa Fe and a maroon Dodge Durango, says the document.
Officers found and pulled over the Hyundai in Fort Washakie. Those in the vehicle said a victim court documents call “LR” had been shot by “D Trosper,” and that Trosper was driving the maroon Dodge Durango, reportedly.
Officers found LR in critical condition, rendered aid and transferred him to emergency medical personnel.
Wind River Casino security staff also responded to the convenience store and collected potential evidence, including a small tube “possibly containing narcotics,” a deformed bullet and one 9 mm shell casing, the document says.
Surveillance footage from the casino captured the events, reportedly.
Trosper opens the door and gets out of the car quickly, pulling the victim out with him; but the victim’s foot was stuck and he fell to the ground, the document relates from the video.
Trosper points a black handgun at the victim, who is still lying on the ground and appears to be in a defensive position, the document says.
“Trosper fired the gun three to four times at the victim,” the affidavit continues.
The victim later told police that he got into the vehicle that day and was pulled out by Trosper.
His leg went numb when it was shot, the victim reportedly said.
“Get the f*** out of my car,” Trosper yelled, according to the victim.
“I can’t, my foot is stuck,” answered the victim, by his own account. “Help me get it free.”
The victim was able to free his foot and run around the car and hide. Trosper got back in the car and sped away, says the affidavit.
The document says the victim went to the Hyundai and told the driver to take him to the hospital.
Medical staff later told police that the victim sustained a gunshot wound that struck and broke his pelvis and damaged the nerves of his left leg, reportedly.
Detained
There exists “no combination of conditions upon which release could be fashioned,” says a summary of Trosper’s Thursday indictment in a Lander outpost of the U.S. District Court for Wyoming.
He remains in official detention.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
