After a transgender woman drew a gun on a man in what she called an act of self-defense, information came to light about the man’s past in Colorado, including that he once allegedly belonged to Patriot Front, a white supremacist group.
To support her defense against charges resulting from the altercation, the woman’s attorney wants to look deeper into the man’s past. The state is trying to quash that effort.
Ríhanna Kelver, a vocal trans rights activist, is facing felony charges for aggravated assault and possession of a deadly weapon following the incident in downtown Laramie. Her case has drawn national attention, with media and other observers asking why a trans woman faces criminal charges for her actions in a state with a stand your ground law.
Kelver’s attorney, Andrew Holcomb, attempted to have those charges dismissed on self-defense claims. But Albany County District Judge Misha Westby ruled that she wasn’t immune from prosecution. While Kelver can still raise a self-defense argument at trial, the burden of proof will be higher.
In court filings, Holcomb has noted that Scott Durham, the man who pushed Kelver to the ground before she drew a gun on him, was allegedly “previously the subject of disciplinary proceedings at the University of Colorado Boulder,” which culminated in his departure from the school.
Holcomb’s filings cite articles from the Laramie Reporter and CU Independent, which reported that Durham was once a member of Patriot Front and has a history of posting online content targeting minorities. A Colorado police report included in the court record also recounts a student calling police because he was “in fear” of Durham, who was “an active known racist throughout the campus.”
Last month, Holcomb filed a request in Albany County District Court to subpoena University of Colorado Boulder. The proposed subpoena asks the university to provide any disciplinary records concerning Durham, including records of his social media activity. Holcomb asked that those records be handed over to the court for an “in camera inspection” — a process in which a judge privately inspects records to decide if they can be released.
Holcomb stated that these records are relevant to issues he expects will come up at trial, such as the “credibility of the complaining witness,” “potential bias or motive” and “prior conduct” relevant to Kelver’s asserted defenses.
While the Wyoming Rules of Evidence usually bar evidence that attacks the character of a witness, “a criminal defendant is allowed to introduce evidence of a pertinent character trait possessed by the alleged victim for the purpose of establishing that the alleged victim was the initial aggressor, an essential component of a self-defense claim that arises within a public space,” Holcomb wrote.
Last week, Albany County Attorney Kurt Britzius, who is representing the state of Wyoming, asked the court to quash the request, writing that the state has “a legitimate interest in protecting witnesses from undue harassment and from Defendant prying into a witness’ educational/disciplinary file merely for a fishing expedition.”
Britzius also argued that the records aren’t relevant to Kelver’s case. “The State does not believe it is contested that, at the time of the incident, neither Defendant nor Mr. Durham knew each other,” he wrote. “It was only after the fact that these individuals learned of each other’s identity. Thus, nothing in Mr. Durham’s past, including the requested disciplinary records, is relevant in the current case.”
The September 2025 incident in downtown Laramie started with a verbal exchange between Kelver and Durham, although accounts differ as to what exactly was said.
According to Kelver, Durham allegedly taunted her as she sat in front of the Crowbar & Grill before a late-night shift, yelling that “the [Crowbar] should be closing you bunch of fags.” Kelver asked him, “What the fuck did you say?” Kelver also recounted that Durham allegedly told her: “I’ll fuck you up, faggot,” and “I’ll fucking kill you, you fucking faggot.” Meanwhile, Durham told police that he had yelled “‘fuck the Crowbar’ because he likes the Buckhorn Bar better,” without using any slurs, according to a Laramie police affidavit.
Court filings and video recount what happened next. Kelver walked toward Durham and the two individuals he was with, meeting them in the crosswalk at the intersection of 2nd Street and Ivinson Avenue. As she approached them, Kelver had her right hand on her hip where she wore a satchel that carried her gun. When she neared, Durham pushed Kelver, causing her to fall. When she hit the pavement, she pulled the pistol out of her bag, racked the slide and pointed it at Durham. Kelver lowered the firearm and stood when Durham was past her.
Westby will decide whether to grant Holcomb’s request to probe Durham’s past.
Kelver’s gender is flipping out transphobic commenters who deliberately put the word ‘she’ in quotes? Why would I take your comments as intelligent enough to be worthwhile for consideration when they are obviously based on ignorance and fear of those outside of your little world? Would Kelver have even been charged if SHE were a CIS (not SIX) gendered male?
In a town where a young man was beaten nearly to death and then left tied to a fence on a dark, freezing night for winter to finish the job, the three outnumbering Kelver were INCREDIBLY lucky she didn’t use deadly force. And deadly force is allowable in WY if one fears one’s life is in danger, which Kelver obviously did.
Were any of the three shot? No. Was the gun even fired? No. And based on Wyoming’s Stand Your Ground law Kelver was fully within her rights to protect herself.
The law in WY is not being upheld. Why? Because the non-shooter is trans?
Was the law upheld in FL because the murdered child with some candy and a soda was black?
Funny how “different” people, when seen from our little, threatened bubbles, are worthy of transphobic or racist attacks.
Did Matthew Shepard, also outnumbered, die because he didn’t have a gun? Or would he have been called a murderer if he, a gay man, defended himself?
Think about it.
Sandy, the fact that Kelver escalated the incident has been confirmed.
People can’t cross the street to start a fight and then plead self defense when they pull a gun because they are losing.
The bringing up of the nearly 30 year old Shephard case is reaching at best especially when considering other evidence has been brought to light regarding drugs and the attackers own sexuality.
Facts, not socially driven politics is what justice is based on.
It’s only self defense when you try to disengage or have no other option. That is not the case here. “She” escalated the engagement. Doesn’t really matter what the other dude was a member of or who he follows. Using social issues to shame the victim is a non starter.
Bingo
Victim shaming is an interesting move, lets see how that works out.
I heard she was offered a plea deal? Is this a fact? If so, please report this fact every time this case is mentioned as it is relevant to understanding why this case persists. She is willing to risk 15 years in jail based blaming the victim instead of addressing the facts and taking a plea deal.
“She” crossed the street to escalate the confrontation.
Going to exchange 15 minutes of fame for a more serious conviction.
Could have stayed quiet and pled the charges down, if I were the prosecutor now…. No deals.