An off-duty Carbon County Sheriff’s Office deputy is being praised for helping a pair of Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers when he saw them fighting with uncooperative suspects in Casper on Saturday.
Two people have been arrested and face multiple charges after a chaotic traffic stop on Wyoming Highway 258.
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken commended Deputy Jason Black in a statement for his quick actions to help while on his way to do some shopping at Menards on his day off.
That’s when Black witnessed a fight-in-progress “with several individuals during a traffic stop,” the sheriff said.
When Black showed up, Wyoming State Trooper Kolton Carbon, who had initially pulled over an SUV for speeding, was hanging onto the vehicle while trying to prevent a suspect in the driver’s seat from fleeing.
“Without hesitation, Jason jumped out of his personal vehicle and ran to assist the trooper, helping him gain control of the violent subjects and safely detain them,” Bakken said in the statement.
Tried To Take Off
The initial driver of the SUV, whose name has not been publicly released, was ticketed for speeding, underage possession of nicotine and operating a vehicle with no registration.
Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesman Aaron Brown said the driver had already been removed from the vehicle during Trooper Carbon’s stop when a passenger “jumped into the driver’s seat and tried to drive off.”
“That’s when the whole ordeal happened,” Brown told Cowboy State Daily.
Trooper Carbon was trying to stop that driver from taking off when a second Wyoming State Trooper arrived and blocked the SUV, Brown said.
A civilian in a nearby Walgreens parking lot also ran over to help, he added.
The passenger, whose name has also not been released, was charged with driving under the influence, eluding police and reckless endangerment.
Additional charges are pending for both suspects and an investigation is ongoing.
He Acted On His Training
Frank Groth, a retired law enforcement officer who lives in Gillette, told Cowboy State Daily he understands Deputy Black’s humility in not wanting a lot of attention.
“He’s going to look at it as, ‘I’m just doing what I’m trained to do,’” Groth said. “He’s going to have a sense of duty to help his brothers or sisters.
“If we’re going to carry a badge, I think it’s important that we be willing to do the things that need to be done in the moment.”
Groth knows that firsthand.
In 1993, he encountered a California Highway Patrol officer involved in a physical fight with a man who was walking on the freeway.
Groth, who was on disability and not serving in law enforcement at the time, stopped his own vehicle, ran over and asked if the state trooper wanted help.
The state trooper said yes. The trooper didn’t know until later that Groth was a trained law enforcement officer.
“I didn’t think anything about it,” Groth said of his decision to help the trooper.
Not Surprised
Trooper Carbon, who Brown said was “banged up a little bit,” was treated and released from a local hospital.
Lt. John Vance, who serves on the Wyoming Highway Patrol in Natrona and Converse counties, told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday he was still reviewing video of the incident and hadn’t yet sat down to talk specifics with the troopers involved.
“I haven’t dug into the case yet,” he said.
Deputy Black declined to comment on his involvement in Saturday’s incident.
However, Sheriff Bakken said in a text message to Cowboy State Daily that he “wasn’t surprised at all” by his deputy’s actions.
“That’s just the kind of person Black is,” Bakken said, “always willing to jump in and help.”
For his actions, Black will receive a Letter of Commendation from the Carbon County Commission on Dec. 2. Bakken said such letters are relatively rare.
“We issue them to staff who clearly go above and beyond their normal duties [to promote] public safety and community caretaking,” he said.
That’s why he called out Black’s actions.
“Deputy Black's quick actions and willingness to jump into a violent altercation to help a fellow law enforcement officer while off duty is truly commendable, and we are extremely fortunate to have him on our team,” he said in his statement.
Black has been with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office since 2023. He previously served with the Rawlins Police Department and the Wyoming National Guard.
