September 7, 2022 |
Law enforcement across Carbon County had their hands full over the Labor Day weekend with one first responder noting that “it wasn’t even a full moon.”
The calls to action started on Thursday evening, September 1st, in Saratoga. Police were notified about a man threatening the Saratoga Care Center. According to Saratoga Police Chief Kenneth Lehr, the male subject was irate about being denied visitation to his mother, a resident at the facility. The threats to the assisted living center soon became threats at police. Chief Lehr said when the man was contacted, the subject said they “better bring their best officer or that it wouldn’t end well.”
Sources knowledgeable of the situation said Sergeant Tyler Christen communicated with the man over the phone. They agreed to meet. A team of five other officers from different agencies surrounded the subject’s home on River Street. When Sgt. Christen knocked on the door, the man did not answer, and the lights were off in the house.
About the same time Thursday night, as police pondered their next step, a traffic stop involving a suspicious looking “hippy” bus resulted in an officer drawing his gun. Police left the scene of the home to provide backup for the lone officer holding a man and a woman.
Chief Lehr said that the suspect who allegedly made threats against the nursing home was picked up the next morning by Wyoming Highway Patrol during a traffic stop without a fight.
When police returned to the suspect’s residence on South River Street, they discovered a suspicious device by the front door. The Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team was called from Cheyenne as well as the Laramie Bomb Squad. After setting up a cordon around the suspect’s house, the EOD and Bomb Squad were able to use X-ray to defuse the improvised explosive device. Chief Lehr said that the suspect had a propane torch next to the door in an apparent attempt to activate the IED should officers force their way into the home. The bomb squad said that the device was poorly constructed and, if lit, would have succeeded in only harming the suspect.
The call that diverted the police department’s attention away from the stand-off at the house involved Officer Glen Casner, who had pulled over a bus with what appeared to be graffiti on it. A man and a woman exited the bus and informed Officer Casner that there was a weapon in the vehicle. Chief Lehr said that the female suspect ran back into the bus and turned off all of the interior lights. When this happened, Officer Casner drew his service weapon and demanded the suspect exit the vehicle. This is when he called for backup. The suspects were arrested without farther incident and unspecified narcotics were found inside of the vehicle.
As if the weekend couldn’t get more chaotic for local law enforcement, a small aircraft crashed on US 30 between Hanna and Medicine Bow. A man and a woman were in the plane when it went down. According to sources, the woman was taken to a local hospital. The man was airlifted out of state, in dire condition. There are no more details at this time.
Police responded to numerous reports of reckless driving over the Labor Day weekend. In addition to the plane crash, ambulance crews responded to several health emergencies and two deaths over the weekend.
