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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

A Cheyenne Police Department investigation identified a policy violation tied to the in-custody death of Cheyenne resident Aiden Hall last month, the department said Friday in a statement.  

The statement doesn’t describe the nature of the violation. The department’s spokesperson didn’t respond to an email from WyoFile asking for clarification before publishing time. 

Hall, 22, was handcuffed in the back of a police vehicle, but managed to retrieve a gun from his pants and kill himself while officers conducted a DUI investigation related to him.

The announcement doesn’t identify who was responsible for the policy violation, stating that personnel performance matters are confidential under Wyoming law. “The personnel aspects of this incident have been addressed in accordance with established departmental procedures and disciplinary policy,” the department states. Police have also not said whether officers conducted a full search of Hall before putting him in the back of the patrol vehicle.

According to the announcement, the department “is implementing several proactive measures” following an internal investigation into Hall’s death. The review involved examining body-worn and in-car camera footage and a “critical assessment of existing departmental policies, training, and procedures,” the department states. 

The department updated its policy on the transportation of people in custody “to provide greater clarity and reinforce best practices regarding the supervision of individuals during transport,” according to the statement. It will also hold department-wide training so personnel are familiar with these updates, focusing on “prisoner handling, transport protocols, and supervision requirements to prevent future incidents.”

Police detained Hall shortly after 1 a.m. on Jan. 18 while responding to a report that his truck appeared to have hit a guardrail near the intersection of West 9th and Deming Drive in Cheyenne, a Facebook post from the department relayed. Officers found Hall running along Deming Drive. He appeared intoxicated and said he had consumed alcohol, according to police. Before handcuffing him, the police removed a pocketknife from his front pocket. 

The officers then seated Hall in a police car and transported him back to the crash scene. They “briefly stepped away” from the vehicle to assess the scene, the post stated. The post didn’t specify exactly how long they were away. 

During this time, Hall moved his handcuffed hands from behind his body to the front and retrieved a gun from inside his pants. When officers returned to the police car, they allegedly discovered that Hall had used the firearm to shoot himself. 

Officers started to give first aid until medics arrived, but Hall ultimately died. The post didn’t clarify why officers didn’t notice that Hall had a firearm.

Maya Shimizu Harris covers public safety for WyoFile. She was previously a freelance writer and the state politics reporter for the Casper Star-Tribune.

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