Cheyenne man found not guilty of assault and battery charges
Nov. 14—CHEYENNE — A Laramie County jury found a local man not guilty Nov. 8 of two counts of aggravated assault and battery.
According to court documents, the defendant, 21-year-old Jason R. Lyle Jr., shot at a vehicle after he said they rear-ended his vehicle, pursued him and shot at him on April 29.
Lyle was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and battery for shooting at Jerry and Kimberly Goetsch, who he said followed his vehicle to his driveway and shot at him during the pursuit.
In a probable cause statement, Laramie County Sheriff's Deputy Robert Fertig said he was called to a report of gunshots on East Four Mile Road at 9:42 p.m. April 29.
He said that he observed a dark blue pickup truck near the Lyle household that had multiple bullet holes in it. Jerry Goetsch, the driver of the vehicle, told the deputy that his vehicle had been shot at and disabled.
The deputy then spoke with Lyle's mother, Sherrie Lyle. She told him that she was on the phone with Jason Lyle Jr., and that she would get him to exit their residence.
At this point, Fertig said, he arrested all parties and put them in detention for further investigation.
Trenton Walker, another party at the house who was detained for questioning, told law enforcement that Jason Lyle Jr. had called his sister and said his car was rear-ended, he was shot at and that he was being followed. Walker then observed Jason Lyle Jr. grab a rifle from inside his residence and shoot at a vehicle by the house's gate.
Sherrie Lyle showed deputies security camera footage on their property, where they observe Jason Lyle Jr. firing around eight shots at the Goetsch vehicle. After the first four shots, the vehicle can be seen taking off, Fertig wrote.
From the footage, deputies said they observed Jason Lyle Jr., his sister Molly Lyle and Walker searching the area where he shot for bullets. Jason Lyle Jr. is later seen moving the vehicle he was driving into a barn and closing the barn door. Deputies also said they observed the three giving each other fist bumps.
Upon detention, Jason Lyle Jr. told deputies that a vehicle collided with him from behind on a dirt road. He said the vehicle followed him and then he heard a popping sound. He said he did not observe any shooting, and only recalled the sound.
He then went home, he told deputies, and got his rifle in order to shoot at the vehicle.
A deputy accompanied him to the place where he was allegedly shot at while driving. Deputies also brought a K-9 to search for physical evidence. No evidence of any bullets were found, nor was a spoiler that Jason Lyle Jr. claimed had fallen off when the other vehicle collided with him.
When asked, Jerry Goetsch said Jason Lyle Jr. had passed him on Westedt Road traveling at roughly 100 miles per hour. Jerry Goetsch followed the vehicle until he was no longer able to see it, he told deputies. Later, he observed the vehicle behind him and followed it until he reached the gate of the Lyle residence on Four Mile Road.
Jerry Goetsch told law enforcement that, at that time, he called 911 to report reckless driving. He said Jason Lyle Jr. then entered the residence and shot at his vehicle, causing them to drive away.
Deputies were able to find three shell casings where Jason Lyle Jr. shot at the vehicle, but found no other physical evidence. However, the jury acquitted him of the criminal charges.
Samir Knox is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice and public safety reporter. He can be reached by email at sknox@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3152. Follow him on Twitter at @bySamirKnox.
