The Casper Police Department officer who was found not criminally chargeable this week for shooting and killing a domestic violence suspect who rushed toward a rifle during a tense police encounter has been cleared to return to duty, the department announced Thursday.
Officer William Maples shot Trae Stewart Spurlock, 26, six times in a Casper apartment the evening of June 6, after Spurlock was reported to have shoved his girlfriend during a fight.
The next day, the department put Maples on administrative leave and launched its internal investigation of the incident.
Around that same time, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) launched its own review of the investigation.
With both reviews now complete, Maples is cleared to return to duty, according to a statement Casper Police Department Public Information Officer Amber Freestone sent Thursday to Cowboy State Daily.
“Officer Maples acted according to his training in this incident and has been cleared for service to our community within the Casper Police Department,” says the statement.
Maples is not permitted to comment to Cowboy State Daily, Freestone added in a phone discussion.
Not Enough Evidence
Three agents, including Maples, came to a Casper apartment the night of June 6 to keep Spurlock’s girlfriend safe while she gathered her things and to confront Spurlock about the report of domestic violence.
They found Spurlock shirtless, drunk, seated on a camp chair near a rifle on the apartment balcony, and voicing his resolve not to go to jail that night.
After several minutes of back and forth, Spurlock stood, then darted quickly toward the rifle.
Maples fired his taser toward Spurlock, then shot him six times, causing his death.
Life-saving measures failed after the shooting.
DCI studied the incident and sent its report to Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen on Sept. 6 for a review of criminal justification or culpability.
Itzen determined this week that there wasn’t enough evidence to support a criminal case against Maples, according to a decision letter he released Wednesday to Cowboy State Daily.
Internal Review
The Casper Police Department’s internal investigation was an effort to ensure that Maples and others followed the department’s policies and procedures during the incident, and to ensure that officers have the training and equipment they need to face the challenges of policing in the community, says the department’s statement.
Contact Clair McFarland at clair@cowboystatedaily.com
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
