CASPER — An 18-year-old Sheridan man who fought with Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers and tried to drive away after a traffic stop Saturday afternoon is also linked to crime sprees in Gillette, Sheridan and Casper, according to court records.
Bryson Cross appeared in court during his initial appearance Monday in Natrona County on four charges related to a traffic stop Saturday afternoon where police said he was a passenger in a speeding 2025 Jeep Compass on Wyoming Highway 258 in Casper.
Also Monday, a warrant was issued for his arrest out of Sheridan County on three felony charges related to stealing vehicles and weapons from those vehicles between June and October of this year.
Court records show Cross is charged in Natrona County with interference with a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment and driving while under the influence.
In Sheridan County, Cross faces charges of conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and theft, $1,000 or more.
Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Kolton Carbon was on patrol Saturday afternoon when he clocked the Jeep going 60 mph in a 40-mph zone. After activating his lights, the Jeep pulled over near the intersection of WY-258 and East 2nd Street, according to an arrest affidavit.
The Jeep had an expired temporary license tag, and Carbon wrote that the driver told him he did not have his license with him. Carbon also asked the passenger for his license due to the smell of marijuana in the vehicle.
Carbon wrote that the driver seemed to be attempting to conceal his identity, and when the trooper asked him to get out of the vehicle, it appeared the driver was going to put the Jeep in gear and drive away.
As Carbon pulled the driver out of the vehicle, he told the passenger, later identified as Cross, to stay seated in the car. Carbon wrote that after handcuffing the driver and placing him beside the car on his knees, Carbon went to the passenger side and Cross jumped out and ran around the front of the vehicle and jumped into the driver’s seat.
A Struggle
Carbon pulled his weapon and chased.
“I was able to get ahold of Bryson’s left arm and smash the driver’s door against his left leg attempting to keep him from fleeing in the vehicle,” Carbon wrote. “I holstered my weapon and focused on applying physical control.”
The trooper reported that he opened the door and attempted to gain control over the gear selector, but Cross was able to get the vehicle in drive and started to pull away.
“I told Bryson to stop or he would be shot,” Carbon wrote. “Bryson stated he was a minor.”
At that point, Carbon wrote that a bystander arrived and went in through the passenger door and helped the vehicle stay in park and another trooper arrived to block the vehicle from being driven through the busy intersection.
With the second trooper’s assistance from the back seat, he pulled Cross from the vehicle and other off-duty officers arrived to help put Cross in handcuffs. A search of the vehicle found a loaded Glock 32 handgun on the floorboard in front of the passenger seat where Cross had been sitting. There was a round in the chamber and 12 rounds in an extended magazine, Carbon wrote.
A trooper assisting found three nicotine vape cartridges. Cross was taken to the hospital to check for any injuries. A THC vape was located in Cross’ pocket, the affidavit states.
Cross told the trooper at the hospital that he had used cocaine and Percocet along with marijuana prior to the incident, the affidavit states.
The driver was cited for careless driving, an expired registration and being a minor in possession of nicotine and released. Cross was transported to the Natrona County jail.
Sheridan Warrant
Meanwhile, the warrant and police affidavit from Sheridan allege that from June through October, Sheridan Police officers have investigated 17 thefts from vehicles. Four of the thefts involved vehicle owners reporting missing firearms.
The affidavit by Sheridan Police Officer Meagan Phillips states that Cross’ brother, Leland Cross, was arrested in August on charges related to the auto burglaries and that two juveniles were arrested with him. Both Cross brothers as well as the juveniles had spent time in the Wyoming Boys School and were released earlier this year, the affidavit states.
Phillips wrote that on Aug. 17, a black Ford Taurus stolen from Gillette was recovered in the 1400 block of Parker Avenue in Sheridan.
“During a search … several stolen items such as cards and personal property belonging to people in Gillette, Buffalo and Casper (were recovered),” Phillips wrote. “I was informed by detectives in Gillette that Bryson Cross was a suspect in the vehicle theft of the black Taurus. I was informed by Casper Police Department that the black Ford Taurus we recovered was involved in a pursuit on (Aug. 16) in Casper.”
Phillips wrote that Bryson Cross was a suspect in the Casper incidents.
A 17-year-old Gillette boy, Everette Kale Forbes, entered a plea deal on Oct. 31 in Natrona County District Court, for his involvement in the Casper crime spree. He told the court that he and “some guys” were out stealing cars the night he was caught. The police affidavit involved in the spree showed the black Taurus as well as the stolen vehicle Forbes drove initially took off as a Natrona County Sheriff’s deputy tried to pull them over.
Several items from Buffalo residents that had been reported stolen were found in the Taurus.
Phillips wrote that five suspects arrested for vehicle burglaries by Sheridan County Sheriff’s deputies on Oct. 10, included a teen she interviewed who told her that he had been involved in “car hopping” and “gooning,” and that he believed Bryson Cross had four-to-five firearms that he had stolen from vehicles.
Handgun
Phillips wrote she also interviewed a juvenile after a call from a concerned mother who found a 9 mm handgun in his bedroom. Police recovered the handgun, and the juvenile told Phillips that Bryson Cross had asked him to “conceal the firearm for him.”
The mother later called police and told the officer her son had been threatened by Cross and the juvenile recanted his story and said he had received the weapon from another teen. However, police located a photo of the same weapon on the phone of an alleged co-conspirator that indicated Cross had attempted to sell it.
Court records show Cross has had several interactions with police since 2022 that include vehicle violations, driving without a license on more than one occasion, possession of a controlled substance, a minor consuming alcohol and more.
The charges Cross faces in Natrona County are all misdemeanors and the interference with a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, and reckless endangerment charges carry potential penalties of up to a year in jail. The driving while under the influence charge carries the potential for six months in jail.
The charges against Cross in Sheridan County are all felonies. The conspiracy to commit burglary and theft charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 fines. The conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary charge is punishable by not less than five years in prison and not more than 25 years. It also carries a potential $50,000 fine.
Cross remains in the Natrona County jail under a $7,500 cash or surety bond.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
