K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For January 29th, 2018 – Morning
FORMER CASPER DOCTOR PAUL HARNETTY WAS CONVICTED BY A JURY FRIDAY OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING THIS WOMAN AND ANOTHER WOMAN WHO WERE HIS PATIENTS.
HOWEVER, THE JURY ACQUITTED OBSTETRICIAN/GYNECOLOGIST HARNETTY ON FIVE OTHER COUNTS OF SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND TWO COUNTS OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT AT THE END OF THE WEEK-LONG TRIAL IN NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.
EACH COUNT OF SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT IS PUNISHABLE BY TWO YEARS TO 20 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT.
JUDGE THOMAS SULLLINS ORDERED HARNETTY TO BE IMMEDIATELY PLACED IN CUSTODY AND HELD WITHOUT BOND UNTIL HIS SENTENCING BECAUSE HE POSES A FLIGHT RISK AND MAY BE A THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
DURING THE TRIAL, SIX WOMEN TOLD THEIR STORIES, SOMETIMES IN PAINFUL DETAIL, HOW HARNETTY ABUSED HIS POSITION OF AUTHORITY AS A DOCTOR WHEN HE EXAMINED THEM FOR SEXUAL GRATIFICATION.
HOWEVER, TWO NURSES WHO WORKED WITH HARNETTY DURING THOUSANDS OF EXAMS SAID THEY NEVER SAW HIM DO ANYTHING WRONG.
COURT RECORDS SAY THE CASE BEGAN IN OCTOBER 2015 WHEN POLICE RECEIVED A REPORT OF THREE WOMEN WHO CLAIMED HARNETTY CONDUCTED HIMSELF INAPPROPRIATELY WHEN HE SPOKE TO AND EXAMINED SOME OF THEM.
THREE MORE WOMEN LATER CAME FORWARD AND REPORTED SIMILAR INCIDENTS.
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K2 RADIO NEWS HAS LEARNED THAT AN INCIDENT INVOLVING STUDENTS FROM RIVERTON HIGH SCHOOL IS BEING INVESTIGATED IN NATRONA COUNTY.
SOURCES IN RIVERTON REPORT THAT THE ADMINISTRATORS AT THE SCHOOL WERE INFORMED OF A SERIOUS HAZING INCIDENT THAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED ON A SCHOOL TRIP, THE NATURE OF WHICH; ATHLETIC, BAND OR SPEECH, ISN'T KNOWN.
THE ADMINISTRATORS IN RIVERTON ADMITTED THE REPORT OF THE INCIDENT WAS RELAYED TO THEM. K2 HAS SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED FROM A SOURCE IN RIVERTON THAT INDEED, THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A SCHOOL BUS THAT WAS IN NATRONA COUNTY AT THE TIME.
A CALL TO THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REVEALED THAT THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THE EVENT.
"WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE MATTER TO DETERMINE IF ANY CRIMINAL ACT TOOK PLACE," SGT. AARON SHATTO TOLD US. BUT DUE TO THE AGES OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED, THAT IS ALL THEY CAN SAY.
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A 76-YEAR-OLD COLORADO WOMAN WAS ARRESTED THURSDAY IN NORTHEAST WYOMING AFTER ALLEGEDLY FAILING TO STOP FOR A STATE TROOPER, THEN TRYING TO ESCAPE PURSUING OFFICERS AT SPEEDS WELL OVER 100 MPH.
MARY SEDLACEK OF COLORADO SPRINGS, WAS ARRESTED AFTER OFFICERS DEFLATED HER TIRES. SHE WAS BOOKED INTO THE JOHNSON COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY ON RECOMMENDED CHARGES OF RECKLESS DRIVING AND ELUDING A POLICE OFFICER.
ACCORDING TO A NEWS RELEASE FROM THE WYOMING HIGHWAY PATROL, THE PURSUIT BEGAN AT 12:23 P.M. THURSDAY AT MILEPOST 268 ON INTERSTATE 25.
A TROOPER WAS PARKED IN THE MEDIAN, WATCHING TRAFFIC, WHEN HE SAW A NORTHBOUND VOLKSWAGEN TRAVELING AT 96 MPH IN AN 80-MPH SPEED ZONE.
THE TROOPER TRIED TO STOP THE VOLKSWAGEN, BUT SEDLACEK REFUSED TO PULL OVER AND TRIED TO GET AWAY FROM THE TROOPER.
SEDLACEK CONTINUED NORTHBOUND ON I-25, THEN TOOK I-90 EASTBOUND AT SPEEDS WELL OVER 100 MPH, ACCORDING TO THE PATROL.
AT MILEPOST 106 ON I-90, STATE TROOPERS AND CAMPBELL COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES USED TIRE-DEFLATION DEVICES ON THE VOLKSWAGEN, AND THE VEHICLE SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP. ONCE STOPPED, SEDLACEK WAS ARRESTED WITHOUT INCIDENT.
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A 58-YEAR-OLD FORMER SCHOOL BUS DRIVER IN WYOMING HAS PLEADED NO CONTEST TO DRIVING A BUS RECKLESSLY.
BARBERA J. SLEETH ENTERED THE PLEA MONDAY TO TWO COUNTS OF RECKLESS DRIVING AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT. FOUR CHARGES OF RECKLESS ENDANGERING WERE DISMISSED UNDER THE AGREEMENT.
CIRCUIT JUDGE WENDY M. BARTLETT SENTENCED SLEETH TO 120 DAYS IN JAIL IN EACH OF THE TWO COUNTS, BUT SUSPENDED ALL BUT TWO DAYS, WHICH SLEETH ALREADY HAD SERVED. SHE WAS PLACED ON A TOTAL OF ONE YEAR OF UNSUPERVISED PROBATION AND FINED $1,440.
SLEETH WAS PULLED OVER IN MAY 2017 WHILE TRANSPORTING FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ONE ADULT AIDE AFTER POLICE HAD RECEIVED REPORTS OF A SCHOOL BUS DRIVING RECKLESSLY AND RUNNING A STOP SIGN.