Wyoming football player facing felony charges for allegedly pointing gun at two people
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CASPER — A University of Wyoming football player is facing felony charges after allegedly pointing an unloaded handgun at two people during an incident last week.
Allen Smith III, a freshman defensive back, was booked into the Albany County Detention Center on Friday on two counts of aggravated assault and battery with the threat to use a drawn deadly weapon, according to the jail log.
He had his initial appearance in Albany County Circuit Court later that day. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 15, according to court documents.
Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said in a statement Tuesday that Smith was suspended indefinitely Friday. Smith didn’t travel with the team for last week’s game at Tulsa.
According to an affidavit filed with the court, a Laramie police officer was dispatched around 11:46 p.m. Thursday to help the University of Wyoming Police Department investigate a possible assault that occurred earlier that day at the Verge Apartments. The officer spoke with two alleged victims, who told him they drove Smith to an apartment there so he could drop off some laundry.
While driving through the parking lot of another apartment, Smith then asked the two people, identified in court documents only as T.R. and M.L., if they wanted to “see my gun,” according to the affidavit. After going into an apartment and coming back with a gun in his hand, Smith opened the passenger door, pointed the handgun toward one of their heads and pulled the trigger four times, according to the affidavit.
Smith allegedly asked, “So did you think that was funny?” according to the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, Smith then pointed the gun at the other person’s head and pulled the trigger four more times. Both alleged victims told police they thought the gun was real and they “thought they were going to die,” according to the affidavit.
T.R. is a female. M.L.’s gender was not revealed in court documents. T.R. claimed after Smith pulled the gun from the back of her head that he said, “You talkin’ to other n——-, I could kill ya,” according to the affidavit.
Asked before Wyoming’s practice Tuesday if he had any further comment on Smith’s situation, Bohl referred to his statement, adding, “we’re not going to waver from that.”
Smith has retained Laramie-based lawyer Jason Tangeman as his legal counsel. Contacted by the Star-Tribune on Tuesday, Tangeman described the gun as an airsoft gun that shoots pellets.
Tangeman added that his client disputes the allegations that he pointed the gun at anyone or threatened anyone with it.
“We dispute the criminal charges, and we’re working hard to clear his name,” Tangeman said.
In Wyoming, a conviction on one count of aggravated assault and battery is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
A native of Culver City, California, Smith signed with Wyoming in December as part of the Cowboys’ 2019 recruiting class. He began the season as the backup at nickel back and has played in one game this season.
