CASPER — A 28-year-old local man faces three felonies and a misdemeanor charge after telling an officer to “shoot me.” Just moments before, he had attempted to set himself on fire and set off gunpowder he poured out on a stove of his former girlfriend’s residence, Casper police said.
Dylan Ray Short had his initial appearance in Casper Circuit Court on Monday as Judge Nichole Collier read out the charges against him which include third-degree arson, domestic battery-third offense, stalking, and interference stemming from an incident on Feb. 8.
Court documents show Casper police responding to a reported suicide attempt in the 1700 block of S. Walnut St. on Feb. 8, where they found Short walking into the street with a knife in his hand. When the officer tried to speak with Short, Short replied with an expletive and told the officer to “shoot me.”
Short then made cuts on his neck as he continued to approach officers and was shot with a “less lethal round” in the torso. He then turned and ran into the residence, locking the door behind him.
Police then received a call that he had left the house and entered a vehicle in the residence’s back yard. There Short was surrounded and left the vehicle with non-threatening cuts to his neck and injuries from the less-than-lethal munitions which Short characterized in the affidavit as a “rubber bullet”.
The residence belonged to Short’s ex-girlfriend and court records show he had been sentenced in early January to a suspended jail term and had a no-contact order in place on a domestic violence charge.
Backyard Vehicle Home
Short had moved in with a friend, lost that housing, and called his ex-girlfriend’s daughter to tell her that he was homeless. The ex-girlfriend then allowed him to stay in a vehicle in her back yard. She told police that there had been no issues until that day when she returned home and found him inside lying on her couch, the affidavit states.
She told police there was a smell of smoke in the residence and a pot was burning on the stove. After confronting Short, she told police he told her he was going to kill himself. He went into the garage and came back with lighter fluid and doused himself.
“Short went into the kitchen and poured gunpowder on the stove and turned it on,” the affidavit states. “The powder ignited, and the flash ignited Short’s hooded sweatshirt.”
His ex-girlfriend told police she extinguished the fire on the stove with a pan and patted out the fire on Short’s sweatshirt. He then grabbed her finger and twisted it in a way that she thought he broke it and then shoved her.
“Short stated that he was going to die that day and if (the girlfriend) interfered he would “take her with him,” the affidavit states. She then called 911 and tried to leave. Short then followed her and poured gunpowder from a metal container onto her car and lit it. It flared out, but left burn marks on the metal, the affidavit states.
Judge Nichole Collier continued a $30,000 cash only bond for Dylan Short Monday in Casper Circuit Court. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily) 
Dylan Short faces three felonies and a misdemeanor charge stemming from actions on Feb. 8 where he tried to set himself on fire, blow up gunpowder on a stove, and cut himself with a knife. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Drinking Earlier
Short told police he was aware of the no-contact order and had been drinking that day. When his girlfriend woke him up on the couch and told him he had to leave he became angry and told her she would have to call someone to get him out of the house. He told police they had been in contact since the non-contact order and other domestic violence charge.
Short had obtained the gunpowder from a friend and told police he had threatened his ex-girlfriend that he was going to put it into his own mouth and light it so his head would explode, the affidavit states.
Messages on Short’s phone showed a message from his ex-girlfriend that said she had left $7 for him at the back door but there also several messages reminding him that he was “not allowed in the residence due to his attitude and lack of respect.”
Evidence from the scene showed markings and evidence of combustible powder and well as partially unburnt powder on it.
During his initial appearance in Casper Circuit Court before Collier, it was noted that Short was currently on supervised probation and the address he provided was his ex-girlfriend’s address.
Collier maintained a $30,000 cash only bond with again the stipulation that he have no contact with the victim.
The charge of third-degree arson carries a potential penalty of five years in prison and $5,000 fine. The charge of domestic battery, third offense in 10 years carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, and the stalking charge a penalty of up to 10 years as well.
The interference charge related to interfering or obstructing a police officer is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Short remains in the Natrona County jail.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
