Spence Law Firm Files Excessive Force Lawsuit Against Lander Police Department

An African American man in Wyoming is suing the city of Lander, its police department, and two officers, alleging they violated his civil rights during an arrest in September 2024. Kayvon Powell, who had recently moved to Lander, says he was roughly handcuffed and pepper-sprayed after being stopped for alleged reckless driving. The encounter escalated when Sgt. Ron Wells opened Powell’s car door without permission after Powell explained his window was broken. Powell says he feared for his safety as the situation intensified and was arrested for allegedly interfering with an officer.

Represented by attorneys Noah Drew of the Spence Law Firm and Bailey Lazzari of Lazzari Legal, Powell’s lawsuit centers on the use of pepper spray, which his lawyers have termed both gratuitous and excessive. Body camera footage shows Powell complying while being handcuffed, yet Officer Casey Tadewald pepper-sprayed him in the back of a police cruiser. Wells then allegedly refused to help Powell, saying, “That’s what you get.”

During Powell’s criminal trial on the interference charge, a Fremont County judge criticized Wells’ actions as “out of line, absolutely 100% out of line.” Lander’s interim police chief, Kelly Waugh, later confirmed that Wells had admitted to mishandling the arrest, yet the Lander Police Department has not apologized to Powell or taken any steps to make it right. Powell’s attorneys say the city’s failure to address the misconduct highlights the need for accountability and legal oversight.