A reserve officer of the Sheridan Police Department, Officer William Vernon, has found himself grappling with a criminal charge after a bullet discharged during a weapon test firing incident struck a nearby residence. On January 19, as reported by FOX59, sounds of gunfire in the Maple Run subdivision prompted an investigation, which eventually traced the bullet back to Vernon, who was test-firing his department-issued firearm with another unnamed individual on a private range close to the subdivision.
Described as a Level 6 felony of criminal recklessness, the charges suggest an acknowledgment of the peril that the discharged bullet could have caused, the risks are magnified considering the proximity of the trajectory to the housing area, the unfortunate incident sparked by the ricochet of a bullet, initially intended for the range, ended up embedding in an abode situated approximately three-quarters of a mile from the site, per the account given by WISHTV.
As the inquiries unfolded, Sheridan Police Chief Mike Nielsen promptly requisitioned the services of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a transparent and unbiased investigation, with Chief Nielsen expressing his commitment to the rule of law and equal treatment for all. "It is important that this investigation was handled in full transparency and without bias from the beginning. That is why I asked the Sheriff’s Office to conduct the investigation that day," Nielsen emphasized in a statement obtained by The Reporter. He also remarked on the instrumental role of awareness when handling weapons, "It is a very good reminder for all of us to always be aware of your surroundings, your backstop, how far a projectile will travel, and how close you are to town or housing additions when firing any type of weapon with projectiles."
Following the incident Vernon has been suspended and, as per the latest updates from online court records, he is slated to appear before Hamilton Superior Court 7 for a jury trial on June 25, though he was not booked into the jail, according to information shared by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office with WISHTV.
