Highway Patrol trooper no longer in custody at Laramie County jail

Hannah Black, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne
·2 min read

Sep. 2—CHEYENNE — A Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper arrested earlier this week is no longer in custody, a Laramie County jail official said Thursday.

Sgt. Gabriel Testerman bonded out Wednesday, Laramie County jail Capt. Don Hollingshead told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Testerman's bond had been set at 10% of $100,000 at his initial appearance Wednesday in Laramie County Circuit Court, Hollingshead said.

Testerman was arrested Tuesday, according to a WHP news release distributed that day. He was stationed in Cheyenne. He was placed on administrative leave in early May after the agency learned of a Cheyenne Police Department investigation involving him, the news release said.

It's unclear exactly what Testerman has been charged with. A Laramie County Circuit Court employee said Thursday that they "don't have any information about that case." No public documents had been filed in the case as of late Thursday afternoon, according to a WTE records search.

On Wednesday, Cheyenne Police Department Sgt. Kevin Malatesta told the WTE the law limits what the department can say about the case. He cited Wyoming statute 6-2-319(a), which prohibits a public employee from releasing information about an alleged perpetrator before charges are filed in district court.

Wyoming statute 6-2-319 applies to charges of sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual assault of a minor and soliciting.

Malatesta said he wasn't sure why Testerman's name was included in the Highway Patrol news release, but that "it was probably an attempt for transparency."

The statute does say that "the actor's name may be released to the public to aid or facilitate an arrest. This subsection shall not apply if release of the name or information is necessary to enforce an order for protection against the alleged actor."

"We look at every allegation seriously — we're investigating this just as we would any other," Malatesta told the WTE on Wednesday. "The fact that this person is a law enforcement officer does not give them preferential treatment. We do our investigation in the same manner and with the same professionalism."

On May 2, the Highway Patrol was contacted by the Cheyenne Police Department about an investigation involving a trooper, according to Tuesday's news release. It said the trooper, Testerman, was immediately removed from service and placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

WHP spokesperson Sgt. Jeremy Beck said Testerman has been with the agency since August 2005. Beck declined to provide any details about Testerman's job duties.

An investigation is ongoing. The Highway Patrol is "cooperating fully with the investigation," the news release said.

Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at hblack@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack.