CASPER — A serial biter who nearly bit off the finger of a Natrona County Sheriff’s Office deputy Tuesday barked like a dog and stuck out his tongue during his initial appearance in Casper Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Between his bizarre animal noises and activity via videoconference from the Natrona County Detention Facility, the man calmly answered Judge Nichole Collier’s questions as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Andrew Beau Barrett, 39, is charged with aggravated assault and battery and being a habitual criminal, interference with a police officer and two counts of possession of a controlled substance involving meth and marijuana.
Those stem from a probation and parole check Tuesday evening that involved a Wyoming Probation and Parole agent and Casper Police Department officer.
A court affidavit filed by the Casper police officer states that when visitingBarrett, who has one leg, the officer noticed him “hop over to a table in his living room” and put a plastic bag in his pocket.
Barrett told the officer the bag held marijuana. The officer also noticed a glass pipe with burn marks and residue consistent with meth use.
Barrett is on parole after serving prison time for an aggravated assault and battery charge that involved biting off the tip of an index finger of a Banner Wyoming Medical Center employee on Feb. 1, 2021. He was told he was going to jail.
On the way to jail Tuesday, the affidavit states that Barrett said he was “crocodilian” and began making “guttural growling noises.”
Once at the jail, a separate arrest affidavit filed by a Natrona County Sheriff’s Office investigator said Barrett fought with deputies after being taken out the patrol car. Deputies rolled a “restraint chair” out to the garage and moved Barrett into the chair as Barrett resisted and fought, the affidavit states.
The Bite
A deputy behind Barrett used a technique to control his head to keep him from biting or spitting at deputies and Barrett was able to pull his head away and bite down on the deputy’s “ring finger, biting down with enough force to bite through the flesh and glove tearing away part of the finger from the first joint,” the affidavit states.
The deputy was taken to the hospital and received stitches to keep his finger intact. The deputy was told “he may need follow-up surgery” due to the damage and crushed bone, the affidavit states.
During his initial appearance in court Wednesday, Barrett was brought up to the camera in the jail in a wheelchair and repeatedly made noises like an animal, barked, swore, put his hands into the figure of a gun and then answered Collier’s questions.
After the judge read him the information related to the assault and battery charge, Collier asked him if he had questions.
“We’ll just say, ‘No,’” Barrett said.
Not The First Time
Members of the sheriff’s office as well as Sheriff John Harlin were in the courtroom while Barrett appeared via video.
Natrona County Deputy District Attorney Blaine Nelson listed years of charges on Barrett’s record since 2002 that include multiple driving under the influence charges, drug offenses, battery, domestic violence and the aggravated assault involving the biting of the hospital employee.
“Over the course of yesterday, (prior to his arrest) he was making threats over Facebook,” Nelson said Wednesday.
After Nelson read through the list of charges, Barrett said: “I’ve never had my list read out like that.”
Nelson said Barrett’s record showed he engaged in “serial biting” and asked the judge for a $100,000 cash only bond.
Collier asked Barrett if he had anything to say about the bond.
“I’m just a guy struggling to get by,” he said. “I ain’t going nowhere.”
The habitual criminal charge that Barrett faces carries the potential of life in prison. Both the aggravated assault and battery charge and interference with a police officer felony charge carries a penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $10,000.
Both possession of a controlled substance, third or subsequent offense charges carry penalites of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
