K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 5th, 2017 – Morning
A MAN WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AFTER A FOUR-HOUR ARMED STANDOFF WITH DOZENS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN NORTH CASPER.
NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE INCIDENT, AND OFFICIAL ACCOUNTS ABOUT IT HAD NOT BEEN MADE PUBLIC AS OF SUNDAY EVENING.
IT STARTED ABOUT 9:45 P.M. SATURDAY WHEN K2 RADIO RECEIVED REPORTS ABOUT POLICE BLOCKING SOME ENTRANCES TO INTERSTATE 25, BUT NONE WERE SEEN ABOUT 10 P.M.
LESS THAN A HALF-HOUR LATER, THE GLENROCK POLICE DEPARTMENT POSTED A "CODE RED" WARNING URGING GLENROCK RESIDENTS TO STAY INSIDE AND LOCK THEIR DOORS.
LESS THAN A HALF-HOUR AFTER THAT, AUTHORITIES BEGAN BLOCKING ENTRANCES ON I-25 FROM POPLAR STREET TO WYOMING BOULEVARD.
SIGNS OVER OVER THE HIGHWAY WARNED MOTORISTS OF AN ARMED FUGITIVE ON THE LOOSE, AND MOTORISTS WERE URGED TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY AND TAKE ALTERNATE ROUTES THROUGH CASPER.
A STATE TROOPER IN THE AREA CONFIRMED A GUN WAS INVOLVED.
BY THEN AT LEAST A HALF-DOZEN PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES WITH DOZENS OF OFFICERS AND VEHICLES HAD GATHERED AROUND A CAR AT A BUSINESS ON F STREET NEAR THE BEVERLY STREET EXIT.
MEANWHILE, GLENROCK POLICE REMOVED THE RED CODE WARNING, AND THE GLENROCK INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER REPORTED A FEMALE ACCOMPLICE OF THE MAN IN THE CAR HAD BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
AT THE SCENE IN CASPER, AUTHORITIES RESTRICTED SPECTATORS TO ELMA STREET AT F STREET, SEVERAL BLOCKS WEST OF THE BUSINESS.
A MALE NEGOTIATOR SPOKE TO THE MAN INSIDE THE CAR, URGING HIM TO SURRENDER. WITNESSES SAID THEY HEARD HIM SAY, "WE DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU."
AS THE NEGOTIATOR TALKED, MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES ARRIVED, AND SOON BEGAN MOVING FROM ELMA STREET TO THE BUSINESS.
SPECTATORS WERE ABLE TO WALK ON THE HIGHWAY, WHERE IT WAS EASY TO LISTEN TO A NEW NEGOTIATOR.
SHE URGED THE SUSPECT TO GET OUT, THAT NOBODY WAS GOING TO SHOOT HIM, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD STAY THERE ALL NIGHT IF IT HAD TO.
SHE TOLD HIM THAT HE SHOULD ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW AND SHOW HIS HANDS, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS TOTALLY UP TO HIM.
SHE ALSO ASKED HIM TO THINK ABOUT MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY AND HOW THEY WOULD MISS HIM IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED.
ABOUT THAT TIME, A POLICE OFFICER TOLD THOSE ON THE HIGHWAY TO MOVE TO THE NORTH OF F STREET, AS MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES ARRIVED.
A WHILE LATER, CASPER POLICE SERGEANT CHRIS HADLOCK TOLD REPORTERS THAT THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL AND THERE IS NO DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT AS HE WAS SPEAKING, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD, WHICH WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE A FLASH-BANG DEVICE.
AFTER THAT, THE NEGOTIATOR STOPPED TALKING.
ABOUT 2:30 A.M. SUNDAY, CASPER POLICE OFFICER ZACK WINTER SAID SITUATION ENDED, THE SUSPECT WAS IN CUSTODY, AND THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY.
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NICK LEARNED
PRICE SENTENCED VCR
A CASPER MAN IS HEADED TO PRISON AFTER ADMITTING IN MARCH TO SEXUALLY ABUSING HIS FRIEND'S DAUGHTER, WHO WAS 12 YEARS OLD WHEN THE ABUSE BEGAN.
NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE THOMAS SULLINS ON FRIDAY SENTENCED 35-YEAR-OLD FOREST VINCENT PRICE TO TWO CONCURRENT 15- TO 20-YEAR PRISON SENTENCES. PRICE PREVIOUSLY PLEADED GUILTY TO TWO CHARGES OF SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR AS PART OF A PLEA DEAL.
AT FRIDAY'S HEARING, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY BRETT JOHNSON SAID PRICE MADE THE VICTIM FEEL "SPECIAL" AND "GROOMED HER" TO PERFORM SEX ACTS, EVEN CONVINCING HER THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A LEGITIMATE RELATIONSHIP WHEN THE VICTIM WAS OF LEGAL AGE.
THE VICTIM TOLD THE DETECTIVE SHE BROKE OFF THE "RELATIONSHIP" WITH PRICE BECAUSE HE WAS MARRIED AND WAS GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER BABY.
AT FRIDAY'S SENTENCING HEARING, PRICE'S WIFE TOLD SULLINS SHE NEEDS PRICE AT HOME TO HELP CARE FOR THEIR TWO CHILDREN, A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY AND A ONE-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
SIX OTHER CHARGES AGAINST PRICE WERE DISMISSED AS PART OF THE PLEA AGREEMENT.
ACCORDING TO CHARGING PAPERS, THE VICTIM SAID HER FIRST SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH PRICE -- WHO WAS HER FATHER'S ROOMMATE AT THE TIME -- TOOK PLACE IN JUNE 2013.
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A MAN IN HIS EARLY FORTIES WAS ARRESTED SUNDAY AFTER LEADING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ON A PURSUIT INTO WEST CASPER.
KENNETH COONS WAS BOOKED ON CHARGES OF ELUDING, RECKLESS DRIVING AND POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE, ACCORDING TO SGT. AARON SHATTO OF THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SHATTO SAYS DEPUTIES WERE DISPATCHED TO AN AREA NEAR THE LAKE AT ROUGHLY 11:30 A.M. FOR A REPORT OF A SUSPICIOUS PERSON. WHEN DEPUTIES ARRIVED, THAT PERSON -- COONS -- ALLEGEDLY GOT INTO A VEHICLE AND TOOK OFF EASTBOUND ON HIGHWAY 220.
DEPUTIES CHASED HIM INITIALLY, BUT SOON ENDED THE PURSUIT, LIKELY TO PROTECT OTHER DRIVERS.
ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY LATER SPOTTED COONS AND RESUMED THE CHASE, FOLLOWING HIM TO THE WEST SIDE WALMART.
COONS PARKED HIS CAR AND WENT INSIDE THE STORE, WHERE OFFICERS ULTIMATELY ARRESTED HIM AT ROUGHLY 2 P.M., REPORTEDLY IN THE GROCERY SECTION.
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THE CHASE. NO FURTHER DETAILS HAVE BEEN RELEASED.
COONS WILL LIKELY MAKE HIS INITIAL APPEARANCE IN NATRONA COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT ON MONDAY.
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THE DIPLOMAS HANDED OUT TO CODY HIGH SCHOOL'S 130 GRADUATING SENIORS HAVE TO BE REPRINTED BECAUSE THE PRINTER INCLUDED THE WRONG SIGNATURES.
SUPERINTENDENT RAY SCHULTE SAYS THAT THE SCHOOL SENT IN THE PROPER SIGNATURE CARD, BUT THE PRINTER USED AN OLD ONE WITH OUTDATED SIGNATURES FOR THE PRINCIPAL, SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN AND BOARD CLERK. SCHULTE'S WAS THE ONLY CORRECT SIGNATURE.
SCHULTE SAID IT WAS EMBARRASSING THAT THE MISTAKE WASN'T CAUGHT BEFORE THE DIPLOMAS WERE HANDED OUT LAST FRIDAY. HE SAYS THE PROOFREADING EFFORTS FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THE STUDENTS' NAMES WERE SPELLED CORRECTLY.