Wyoming man sues after being stunned, arrested by deputies

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming man filed a lawsuit against the Laramie County board of commissioners and two sheriff’s deputies who stunned and arrested him and his mother during a visit to check on his welfare.

Devin Bryant filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court last week alleging his Fourth Amendment rights against unlawful search and seizure were violated during the encounter about a year ago, the Casper Star-Tribune reported Wednesday.

Body camera footage shows sheriff’s Deputies Jason Gillott and Ryan Lee using a stun gun on Bryant and his mother less than two minutes after Bryant answered his door.

Court documents said Gillott and Lee were responding to a report from Bryant’s estranged wife, who told the sheriff’s office that Bryant sent her an email claiming he had cut himself.

The officers are seen on the video pulling Bryant from his home after he refuses to show his arms so they can check for cuts and then stunning the pair and taking them into custody for investigation of interfering with a peace officer. The charges were dropped in April.

“We approach every situation in the same manner, with our safety in mind along with the safety of the individuals that we’re dealing with,” Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Jason Barnes said. “We gather as much as we possibly can and then we base our decision from the totality of the circumstances that we’re dealing with.”

Barnes said the officers remained on active duty as of Tuesday, but he declined to comment further on the case.

The lawsuit also names the Laramie County Board of County Commissioners, which oversees the Sheriff’s Department. Board Chairman Gunnar Malm said he could not comment on the pending litigation.