A federal civil complaint has been filed against three Casper police officers, the City of Casper, and the Casper Police Department over the fatal shooting of Trae Stewart Spurlock, a 26-year-old Army veteran, in 2024. The complaint alleges that the officers were incompetent and knowingly violated the law during the incident, which occurred during a domestic assault investigation.

Incident Details

According to the complaint, Spurlock was shot and killed by Officer William Maples after he reached for a rifle on the balcony of his apartment. The incident began when Spurlock’s girlfriend called police to report that he had shoved her during a tense moment in their relationship. Officers responded to the scene and attempted to arrest Spurlock, who was sitting on the balcony with a rifle next to him.

The complaint claims that Spurlock did not make any aggressive moves towards the officers during the 13-minute encounter and that the officers could have left and written a warrant request for Spurlock to be arrested later. The complaint also alleges that the city and police department are responsible for a lack of training.

Response from Police

Then-police chief Keith McPheeters released body-cam video and information about the call and the officers’ subsequent attempt to make an arrest for domestic assault. McPheeters said he stood by the officers’ conduct, stating that they were faced with a resolute suspect who had openly discussed ‘death by cop’ and his lack of fear of getting into a firefight.

The civil complaint seeks a minimum of $5,000,000 in damages. Spurlock’s mother, Brenda, has spoken out about her son’s death, stating that he was a veteran who suffered from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries and was dedicated to his three children.

Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.