Rock Springs Man Gets Federal Prison Sentence For Standoff

A Rock Springs man was sentenced to federal prison on October 23 for charges that grew out of an armed standoff with police in 2014.

Jeffrey Dale Harrison, 28, was sentenced to 42 months in prison  by Chief United States District Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on charges of Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person Subject to a Domestic Violence Protective Order. Judge Freudenthal also assessed “3 years supervised release with special conditions; $400.00 fine; and a $100 special assessment.”

Harrison’s case stemmed from his arrest after an armed standoff with Sweetwater County deputy sheriffs and officers of the Rock Springs Police Department on December 17, 2014, for which he was charged with a total of eight counts, including Aggravated Assault and Battery, Aggravated Burglary, Domestic Battery, Violation of Order of Protection, Property Destruction and Defacement, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Theft.

On December 17, according to court documents, Ashley Harrison, Jeffrey Harrison’s sister, and Keriane Mosher, his girlfriend at the time, who told investigating officers she was pregnant with Harrison’s child, reported that they had been assaulted by Harrison at Ashley Harrison’s residence.

Jeffrey Harrison, Mosher said, “came over to talk to her about insurance information regarding her deceased daughter and at some point began to argue.”

Mosher’s daughter, four-year-old Natalie Gibson, drowned in Flaming Gorge south of Green River on November 15 when Jeffrey Harrison’s Jeep Wrangler, in which Natalie was a passenger, rolled into the lake. Present at the time were Jeffrey Harrison, Mosher, and a 16-year-old girl authorities declined to identify.

Harrison, Mosher said, “hit her with an open right hand on the left side of her face.” Mosher told officers Jeffrey Harrison grabbed the urn containing her daughter’s ashes and, though she “begged Jeffrey Harrison several times not to break it,” Harrison nonetheless “threw it on the floor causing it to break...”

Ashley Harrison told investigators that Jeffrey Harrison “wrapped his right forearm around her neck in a chokehold. She stated she could not breath and felt her face turning red; she stated it lasted approximately 15 seconds. Ashley did state she believed Jeffrey Harrison would have killed her if Ashley’s 3 month old son and Mosher had not been screaming.”

Harrison left the home shortly afterward. Investigating officers learned that he was the subject of a protection order filed against him in Pennsylvania, in effect until October 9, 2016, which restrained him from “assaulting, threatening, abusing, harassing, following, interfering, or stalking the protected person [Keriane Mosher] and/or the child of the protected person.”

Officers learned that after leaving his sister’s residence, Harrison began texting Keriane Mosher photographs of a .38 caliber revolver. County deputies and RSPD officers located Harrison at a home north of Rock Springs, where he had been living, and surrounded the home.

An RSPD negotiator established telephone contact with Harrison, who at first refused to come out. At one point he emerged from the residence, firearm in hand, ignoring commands that he drop it. He then went back inside with the gun, a snub-nosed revolver, pressed to his head.

About 20 minutes later, Harrison surrendered. No shots were fired during the course of the incident. Investigators found out the revolver belonged to Harrison’s landlord, who lived upstairs and rented the basement apartment to Harrison.

The case was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rock Springs Police Department.