Incident in Washakie Dining Center

UW Community,

Saturday night in Washakie Dining Center, there was an incident involving UWPD’s response to an intensifying student interaction. Despite attempts to de-escalate the situation, the individual was removed from the facility, arrested and issued a no-trespass order from the UW campus. Additional details can be found here.

UW Chief of Police Samp conducted an initial review, which indicated actions by the police officers were appropriate under the circumstances. A thorough review is ongoing per standard procedures.

It is time to lean on one another and turn to our neighbors, as we are one community composed of many. The individual who was arrested is a part of the Laramie community, and UW is working to connect them with the appropriate resources.

As a nation, we are troubled by incidents when police officers do not always respond appropriately. We cannot control incidents outside of our community, but we can control how we respond to situations within it. Our university, including the UWPD, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Dean of Students Office, came together to respond to this issue.

We ask that our community continue to support one another and seek understanding based on facts. Students, staff and faculty in need of additional support are encouraged to reach out to the following resources on campus: 

University Counseling Center: ucc@uwyo.edu or 307-766-2187 

WellSpring: uw-well@uwyo.edu or 307-766-6820 

Psychology Center: uwpc@uwyo.edu or 307-766-2149 

Dean of Students Office: dos@uwyo.edu or 307-766-3296 

Ombudsperson: nhaddadad@uwyo.edu or 307-766-3459 

Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: diversity@uwyo.edu or 307-766-6672 

Employee Assistance Program: hrbenofc@uwyo.edu or 307-766-2437

Sincerely,

Ed Seidel, President

Zebadiah Hall, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion