Cheyenne Man Bound Over on Gun, Hit-&-Run Charges
A 26-year-old Cheyenne man accused of pointing a gun at a man following two hit-and-run crashes last month has been bound over to Laramie County District Court.
Bryan Gartner appeared before Circuit Court Judge Thomas Lee this (Thursday) morning. He did not enter a plea.
According to police, Gartner was reportedly drunk and speeding when he hit two vehicles on N. College Drive on April 20.
Officer Greg Smith says a witness picked up one of the victims and followed Gartner to his brother's apartment at 4006 Cheyenne Street.
As the victim was approaching the apartment door, Gartner reportedly came toward him with a gun asking him "if he wanted to die."
Fearing for his life, Smith says the victim proceeded to wrestled with Gartner to get the gun. Smith said "the firearm was lying in the parking lot" when police arrived.
Smith said Gartner, who had reportedly cut his right wrist with a steak knife while in the apartment, seemed "delusional" and told an officer "to just shoot him" during the ambulance ride to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
Due to Gartner's behavior, an emergency detention was completed at the hospital and he was discharged to Behavioral Health Services.
Gartner's attorney said his client was diagnosed with major depression and was "doing good" on his medications when police arrested him on a warrant on May 14.
He asked that two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangering not be bound over with an aggravated assault charge, but Lee denied the request saying, "What happened on this day was pretty crazy."
Lee did, however, agree to reduce Gartner's $10,000 cash bond to a $5,000 cash surety bond.
Gartner could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted on all three counts.