U.S. Marshals personnel and Uinta County Sheriff’s Office deputies were involved in a shooting on Wednesday at a local business that left a suspect dead, the sheriff’s office says.
Sheriff’s deputies were helping the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force serve warrants on a wanted person Wednesday at about 2:55 p.m., according to a statement released by the sheriff’s office on Thursday.
In a Thursday phone interview with Cowboy State Daily, Sheriff Andy Kopp confirmed that the suspect was wanted on felony-level warrants. The suspect, a male, was not a local resident but was in the area visiting people, Kopp confirmed.
Justin Stephenson, Chief Deputy of the U.S. Marshals Service of Wyoming, said the man was wanted out of Laramie County on suspicion of failing to register as a sex offender, and that federal authorities get involved in such cases when there's a suspicion a sex offender failing to register may have crossed state lines.
Officers were trying to arrest the man at a trailer park in Uinta County, Stephenson said.
Officers encountered the male when they arrived, and he eluded law enforcement, says the statement. A short foot pursuit followed, and the suspect entered an occupied building.
The building is a place of business that had one occupant in it at the time, said Kopp. He said that person exited the building as soon as the suspect arrived.
A “brief interaction” between law enforcement and the suspect unfolded, and law enforcement personnel fired their weapons, says the statement.
Those on scene immediately provided first aid and medical care to the suspect, who was then taken to the Evanston Regional Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the statement says.
No law enforcement or residents were injured during the incident, it adds.
The sheriff's statement says the suspect has been identified but his name will not be released at this time.
Kopp in his interview declined to discuss the nature of the interaction that preceded the shooting, or whether weapons were found on or near the suspect. Stephenson also said he can't confirm those details while the investigation is ongoing.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident, and Kopp said his department is cooperating with the agency’s efforts.
Two deputies who were on scene have been placed on administrative leave while an internal review is conducted, says the sheriff's statement. Kopp said the deputies are on leave because they were on scene during the shooting, but declined to confirm whether one, both or neither of them shot.
Deputy marshals were "involved," said Stephenson, and they've been placed on administrative leave. The federal agency will conduct an internal investigation as well, he said.
“The Uinta County Sheriff’s Office is committed to maintaining transparency and ensuring that the facts surrounding this incident are thoroughly investigated,” the sheriff's statement says. “The Uinta County Sheriff’s Office is cooperating fully with the independent investigation and will provide updates as appropriate.”
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation did not immediately respond Thursday to an email request for comment.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
