Police Arrest Violent Felon After Gun Found During Traffic Stop

A 40-year-old Cheyenne transient previously convicted of a violent felony could be headed back to prison after police say they caught him with a gun.

According to arrest records, Eric Lamario Mitchell was riding in a truck on the night of July 13 when police stopped the driver, 39-year-old Cheyenne resident Lavelle Brown Jr., for having a brake light out.

The traffic stop led to a search of the truck, and a small baggie containing a crystalline substance and one fentanyl pill were found. A handgun was also found under Mitchell's seat.

Because the drugs were located within arm's length of both Brown and Mitchell, both were arrested on misdemeanor drug charges.

After further investigation, it was determined that Mitchell had a violent felony conviction in Louisiana and was prohibited from possessing a firearm in Wyoming.

Mitchell was arrested around 1 p.m. yesterday, Aug. 16, at the Big Horn Motel on East Lincolnway and booked into the Laramie County Detention Center on a single count of felon in possession of a firearm.

He's scheduled to make his initial appearance in Laramie County Circuit Court tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

Meet the Four-Legged Heroes of the Cheyenne Police Department

They may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but make no bones about it, police dogs play a vital role in the fight against crime.

In many situations, they're the first ones to put their lives on the line to protect their human partners, proving that not all heroes wear capes, some wear fur coats.