Casper Police Officers Involved in Shooting at McKenzie Lake Park

At approximately 1:54 AM, the officers were patrolling in the area of Lake McKenzie Park, a park located in the City of Casper at 1489 Bryan Stock Trail

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While patrolling the area, they came across a vehicle parked near the shores of Lake McKenzie. There, they contacted an adult male.

During their contact, the male suspect fled on foot from the officers. As the two officers pursued after the suspect, the suspect produced and fired a weapon at them. Both officers returned fire, striking the suspect.

The suspect was transported to the Wyoming Medical Center by ambulance, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The officers of the Casper Police Department were not injured.

There is no ongoing threat to the public related to this incident.

Pursuant to the established policies of the Casper Police Department, the two officers have been placed on Administrative Leave.

Consistent with the Casper Police Department’s commitment to transparency, they have formally requested the assistance of Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to conduct an impartial investigation of the incident.

Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be presented to the Natrona County District’s Attorney’s Office for the determination regarding the lawfulness of the officers’ actions. Any questions regarding the investigation of this officer-involved shooting should be directed to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

The McKenzie Lake Park, including the McKenzie Lake Dog Park, will be temporarily closed to the public while DCI completes their investigation. The Casper Police Department is asking the public to please remain out of the area while the investigation continues.

Pursuant to their responsibilities and investigation, the Natrona County Coroner’s Office is responsible for notifying the suspect’s next of kin, after which, the name of the deceased may be released by that office. K2News will update this once that information become available.

In addition to the external investigation being conducted by DCI, the Casper Police Department conducts an internal review of any incident involving the use of lethal force by its police officers, according to their news release.

This internal review is undertaken to ensure that the policies and procedures of the Casper Police Department were followed, that the guidance provided by those policies and procedures were sufficient, and that the training and equipment provided to our officers are adequate to meet the challenges faced by our officers as they serve the community.