CASPER — A 19-year-old Casper man was arrested Saturday night following an armed standoff with Casper Police Department that also involved an 18-month-old child.
“Over the course of several hours, officers and the negotiator made repeated attempts to establish communication with (the suspect),” said Casper Police Department Rebekah Ladd. “On at least one occasion, the subject held the child in front of his body while gripping the handgun in his waistband and verbally challenged officers.”
Ladd reported in a news release that a neighbor in the 1000 block of St. John Street called 911 about 9:30 p.m. after hearing yelling and then a gunshot from a nearby apartment.
Officers found Brayden Randolph in possession of “multiple weapons” including an AR-style rifle and handgun and he refused to leave the residence, Ladd reported. Officers confirmed that an 18-month-old child was in apartment.
Ladd reported officers established a perimeter, notified neighbors, and called in a trained negotiator with the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office.
Randolph appeared at the front door of the residence several times in an “agitated state” while armed, she reported.
Ladd said because of Randolph’s threatening behavior the child’s endangerment, officers sought and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Suspect Goes To Sleep
Prior to entering the residence, officers doing “surveillance” determined Randolph and the child were asleep on the floor, then entered the residence and removed the child while taking Randolph into custody.
Police found broken glass scattered about and drug paraphernalia in the apartment along with several weapons.
Ladd reported Randolph was taken to the Natrona County jail and booked on “multiple” charges.
A neighbor on the street where Randolph lived in a four-apartment complex where the incident happened said he arrived home about 6 p.m. on Saturday and heard “singing, hooting and hollering” going on in the bottom apartment next to the street as if a party was going on.
About 9:30 p.m., he heard what sounded like a gunshot and went outside just as another neighbor also stepped out to understand what was happening.
“I came out and a couple of kids took off and started running. They jumped in their car and peeled out of here,” said the man, who asked not to be identified. “The kid (Randolph) that was still home was saying ‘I am going to f***ing kill you.’ He was making a ruckus.”
The neighbor said police arrived around 9:40 p.m. and the neighbor left because he was afraid of “something coming through the wall.”
He said he kept his eye on his security cameras and saw police packing up to leave around 1 a.m. on Sunday.
“That’s the second time that happened,” he said, referring to an incident between police and Randolph last summer. “I was watching TV, and I heard a loudspeaker and came out and they had guns drawn and telling him to come out.”
The Department of Family Services responded to the scene, Ladd reported. Following a home safety assessment, the child was released into the care of her mother.
Ladd reported officers tried to de-escalate the situation and the decision to arrest was made due to the “imminent danger” posed to the child and the “credible, ongoing threat presented by an armed and impaired individual who refused all attempts at peaceful resolution.”
Ladd did not immediately respond to questions about what the specific charges are, and the relationship of Randolph to the child.
A spokesperson for Casper Circuit Court said Randolph had his initial appearance on Monday but the file had not yet come down from the judge’s office and he could release no specific information related to the case.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
