A SWAT raid initiated by the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation and local law enforcement resulted in multiple arrests and the members of the county’s SWAT team targeting the wrong house.
According to a media release from the Green River Police Department, a search warrant was served at 355 Fir Street, utilizing the county’s joint SWAT team. The team was mobilized because investigators believed people at the residence were armed, citing the search warrant operation was a high risk.
During the operation, some members of the SWAT team broke a window and utilized a flash-bang device at an incorrect address. After making the mistake, personnel from the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and GRPD contacted the homeowners and coordinated repairs at the home.
Tom Jarvie, Patrol Lieutenant for the GRPD, said the address accidentally targeted by SWAT would not be released, citing concerns of maintaining the homeowner’s privacy.
“It’s our responsibility to be in the right place at the right time; and we failed to do that,” Jarvie said.
Jarvie said the department has reviewed the steps leading up to the SWAT operation and identified a few areas officers could do to avoid this mistake.
According to the Sweetwater County’s map server, the home at 355 Fir Street is owned by Jason Normand.
Normand, 35, was arrested Thursday by DCI and charged with two felony counts of unlawful delivery of methamphetamine and one felony count of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver.
His bond was set at $45,000 cash or surety by Circuit Court Judge John Prokos. If convicted, he could see a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison and a $75,000 fine.
Four arrests were recorded by the GRPD in the action, which included two Green River residents. Cody Ortega, 33, of Green River, was arrested on a district court warrant for alleged failure to comply with a child support order, while Christopher Kersey, 35, also of Green River, was arrested on a municipal court warrant for alleged failure to appear to a hearing on an original charge of public intoxication, third offense.
Andrea Root, 40, of Granger, was arrested on a Sweetwater County warrant for alleged failure to abide by probation conditions on original charges of driving while under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.
The final person arrested, Fredrick Wilkening, 46, of Rock Springs, was arrested on a Sweetwater County warrant for alleged failure to abide by bond conditions on an original charge of stalking.
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