On November 8, a local man, 21-year-old Jason R. Lyle Jr., was acquitted of two counts of aggravated assault and battery by a Laramie County jury. The charges stemmed from an incident on April 29, during which Lyle claimed to have been rear-ended and then pursued and shot at by a vehicle driven by Jerry and Kimberly Goetsch. Lyle allegedly retaliated by firing multiple shots at the Goetsch’s vehicle near his home.
Lyle’s mother, Sherrie Lyle, told law enforcement that her son, Jason Lyle Jr., had informed her that his vehicle was rear-ended, and he was being chased and shot at. Sherrie Lyle then admitted deputies to view security camera footage showing Jason Lyle Jr. firing several shots at the Goetsch vehicle and then discussing the situation with other individuals present on the property.
However, despite finding three shell casings at the scene, no other physical evidence of the shooting was discovered. Jason Lyle Jr. claimed that he had heard the sound of gunfire but had not seen the source. Additionally, deputies failed to locate a spoiler that Lyle said had come off during the collision with the Goetsch vehicle.
According to Jerry Goetsch, Lyle had driven at high speeds and then shot at the Goetsch vehicle after they followed him to his residence and called 911 to report reckless driving. Despite these allegations, Lyle was found not guilty by the jury.
Samir Knox is the criminal justice and public safety reporter for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. For further inquiries, contact Samir Knox by email at [email protected] or by phone at 307-633-3152. Follow him on Twitter at @bySamirKnox.
