CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On July 24, 2025, a 24-year-old Laramie man was arrested at a Cheyenne Frontier Days concert for telling an officer to “shut the f— up” and throwing a stack of empty beer cups at him.
According to Jones’ report, the cups struck Cheyenne PD Officer Vapenik, who was on duty with Officer J. Jones to keep an eye out for underage drinking at the Frontier Park concert. The man was charged with “simple assault on a police officer” and interference without injury. The booking sheets indicate that there was a “takedown.”
The Laramie County District Attorney’s Office charged him with the statutes recommended by the officers. Count I was aggravated interference for intentionally causing or attempting to cause bodily harm to a peace officer, which is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. Count II was a misdemeanor interference charge based on allegations of resisting arrest.
The man posted a $1,500 cash bond and hired R. Michael Vang, a Laramie-based attorney who told Cap City News on Thursday that he was willing to fight the case for free.
“I was ready to kick ass,” Vang said, noting that he has won similar cases.
On August 13, the district attorney’s office filed a motion to dismiss the two interference counts, claiming that the state would be unable to meet the burden of proof. The judge dismissed the charges with prejudice.
Vang stated that his client ultimately chose to plead guilty to an amended misdemeanor charge of breach of peace and pay a $370 fine. Court records show that he entered the plea on August 18.
According to the affidavit, a medical emergency occurred in the “party zone” on the north end of Frontier Park around 11:30 p.m. the night of the incident. Medics arrived on an ATV and then proceeded on foot to respond to the emergency.
The officers said concertgoers were starting to tamper with the ATV, so they stood by to protect it. When the medics returned and attempted to leave, the Laramie man kneeled by the ATV to have his friends take a photo. According to the affidavit, Officer Vapenik told the Laramie man to move, and the man responded with “shut the f— up.”
Officer Vapenik then pushed the Laramie man to the side, allowing the ATV to move, Officer Jones wrote. The Laramie man then threw the stack of cups at Officer Vapenik, “striking him,” according to the affidavit.
The affidavit concludes with a statement about how the officers wore uniforms and high-visibility vests.
“I call it a ‘contempt of cop’ charge,” Vang explained. “He pissed off the cop so he got arrested.”
