By Sarah Elmquist Squires
Lander Journal
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

 

LANDER — A Bureau of Land Management law enforcement ranger and former Bureau of Indian Affairs officer faces up to life in prison after he allegedly killed a man during a bar fight Jan. 9.

Richard “Deak” Dollard was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. His brother, Justin Dollard, and Justin’s adult son Jesse Dollard were charged with being an accessory before the fact to second-degree murder and being an accessory before the fact to manslaughter.

The charges allege the fatal fight was captured by multiple surveillance cameras and bystander cellphone videos which show a fight ensued when Deak put the victim, Evan Denevan, into a martial-arts style choke hold, while Justin pulled on the hood of Denevan’s sweatshirt, yanking his head in the opposite direction. Denevan collapsed, and the Dollards reportedly returned to their drinks without rendering aid, the affidavit in the case describes.

The Dollards were arrested Tuesday night; Deak’s bond was set at $500,000, Justin’s was set at $200,000, and Jesse’s was set at $150,000.

During the trio’s first appearance before Circuit Court Judge Jefferson Coombs, Jesse, who did not have an attorney present, cried as he made a case for a lower bond amount. 

“I just want to go home and take care of the animals,” he said. “I didn’t even touch the guy. I was trying to stop the guy.”

 

The call

The Lander Police Department was called to the Maverick bar at 11:15 p.m. In an interview, LPD Interim Chief Kelly Waugh said it was a witness, not a staff member, who alerted authorities to the fight, stating that up to 10 people had been involved and the victim was unconscious and not breathing.

Though CPR was rendered, Denevan died.

The LPD released a statement on social media describing the fatal bar fight, noting the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation was assisting in the investigation and asking for anyone with information to come forward to investigators.

 

The charges

DCI Agent Brady Patrick’s affidavit states that witnesses at the scene described the fight and told police that Deak Dollard had choked the victim.

Investigators contacted the Dollards and requested they come in for interviews. Deak reportedly invoked his right to an attorney, but Justin and Jesse both spoke with investigators.

Justin told investigators that Denevan had made threats against him and Jesse, and that he’d said, “If you come over here, I will kick your [expletive],” according to the filing; Justin also claimed Denevan threw the first punch at Jesse. According to the affidavit, Justin claimed he did not grab or hit Denevan’s neck, adding that the two were “mostly wrestling” because “he’s little and I’m big.”

According to driver’s license records contained in the court database, Denevan’s driver’s license listed his height at 5’5″ and weight at 180, while Justin Dollard’s height is 6’1″ and his weight is listed at 320 pounds.

“Justin Dollard indicated that people began to pull them apart and that [Deak] Dollard pulled Denevan ‘back’ to ‘de-escalate’ the situation,” the affidavit states of Justin’s interview. Justin reportedly said he saw Denevan on the ground and walked away.

Jesse allegedly told investigators that he had had previous issues with Denevan wanting to fight, adding that “dad gets hot headed” and “dad went after it.” 

He claimed he was trying to break up the fight, and said his uncle Deak was attempting to de-escalate the incident because he is “trained in de-escalation” and the “best course of action,” court files state.

 

The videos

Patrick reviewed multiple videos of the fatal fight. In an interview Monday, Waugh explained that the videos covered most of what occurred at the Maverick.

According to Patrick, the video showed Jesse becoming “visibly upset and gesturing towards the area Denevan was located.” Jesse was held back by several patrons, Patrick describes, and while Jesse was contained, Justin approached Denevan, who removed his hat and glasses. Justin and Denevan appear to argue, Patrick wrote, and Justin “utilized both hands to forcefully push Denevan in the chest. Denevan falls backwards against the wall and then advances towards Justin Dollard as several people begin to try to separate the two.”

Patrick wrote that Jesse then moved past his father and “began punching Denevan as Denevan was punching back.” Jesse was then pushed back by bystanders as Justin began punching Denevan, according to the affidavit.

A group of eight to 10 people continue fighting, court documents describe, as Deak enters the area.

Deak then placed his left arm around the neck of an individual and moved him to the side, the affidavit states, before placing his right arm around Denevan’s neck, “clasping both hands together, in what is best described as a ‘rear naked choke hold.'”

That choke hold, which the affidavit says “is defined as a grappling or martial arts submission hold used to quickly render an opponent unconscious,” can also cause stroke, arterial damage, brain damage, cardiac arrest and/or death. 

Patrick said the video showed that Deak held Denevan in the rear naked choke hold for 26-27 seconds, and that while Deak held the victim in the hold, Justin approached and pulled on the hood of Denevan’s sweatshirt. 

“The hood was over Denevan’s head and pulled Denevan’s head and neck area in an opposite direction from [Deak] Dollard’s grip,” Patrick wrote.

As Deak released Denevan from the choke hold, Denevan reportedly fell to the floor.

Justin then allegedly kicked Denevan in the torso while he lay motionless. 

“None of the Dollards attempted to render aid,” the affidavit states.

Another witness told investigators several days later that “prior to the altercation, the witness saw all three Dollard men nod, or signal in some fashion to each other in agreement, just before the fight broke out.”

There were no court filings showing bond had been posted for the defendants as of late Thursday just before press time.

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