Cheyenne Man Arrested For Attempted First-Degree Murder In Motel Shooting

A  69-year-old Cheyenne has been arrested on charges of attempted  first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with a shooting at a Cheyenne motel on Friday afternoon.

Police Were Called About A Reported Shooting At 2: p.m.

According to police spokeswoman Alex Farkas, police were called to the Big Horn Motel at 2004 East Lincolnway at 2:25 p.m. on January 9. When they got there, they found a 52-year-old man had been shot. The man was rushed to the hospital by ambulance for treatment.

Investigation and surveillance video found that the man had gotten to the motel at around 2:13 p.m. and gotten into a verbal dispute with 69-year-old Harold Wayne Sarvis near Sarvis' room at the motel. The dispute escalated until the victim was shot by Sarvis, who then returned to his room while the victim collapsed in the courtyard.

After officers got there they secured the area, remaining on the scene along with assisting agencies while trying to contact Sarvis. Meanwhile the Big Horn was evacuated for the safety of people in the area. Nearby Alta Vista Elementary School was placed under a secure perimeter at 2:45 p.m. Farkas says the perimeter was lifted at 4 p.m.

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Traffic was rerouted around the area of the motel for safety, and an outer perimeter was established while the scene was active.

Specialized personnel, including the Cheyenne/Laramie County joint SWAT team, crisis negotiators and the Bomb squad were called in to help, according to Farkas.

The SWAT Team ordered Sarvis to come out, but he refused to do so. Crisis negotiators were able to speak with him briefly, but he refused to cooperate.

According to the CPD news release "At 6:10 p.m., utilizing explosive breaching techniques, the SWAT team was able to enter the room with an unmanned drone and locate the suspect. Sarvis was given a series of commands and was safely taken into custody. The scene was subsequently cleared."

Farkas says the incident remains under investigation.