Shots under review: Incident under investigation in Colorado City
 
By Patrice St. Germain
patrices@thespectrum.com
 
HURRICANE - A shooting incident in Colorado City on Friday is under investigation by the Colorado City Marshal's Office.

Resident Isaac Wyler was at a horse corral on property owned by the United Effort Plan when three shots were fired.

Bruce Wisan, a court-appointed special fiduciary for the UEP trust, the financial arm of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said he had been told that it was a truck backfiring, not gunshots that Wyler heard, but Wisan isn't convinced that's true.

Wyler posts tax notices in the polygamist town for Wisan.

"They (the police) seem to have an answer for everything," Wisan said. "Initially they came up with some people then they find out who it is and it just disappears and everything is OK."

Wyler was out of town and unavailable for comment but Wisan said this isn't the first time Wyler and others who do work for him have been subject to harassment.

Wisan said Wyler, along with Andrew Chatwin, has sued Colorado City and the police department. Another man who works for Wisan, Jethro Barlow, has also been harassed, he said.

Wisan said Wyler also had a vehicle break into his corral, drive around and hit a stallion worth approximately $25,000. The animal had to be destroyed. That incident also took down about 200 feet of fencing -- all of which is UEP property. Wisan said the report was investigated by Colorado City police but had not been resolved.

Colorado City Marshal's Office Chief Jonathan Roundy did not return calls to The Spectrum and Gary Engels, an investigator with the Mohave County Attorney's Office, said he could not comment since the incident is under investigation.

Lt. Jake Adams with the Washington County Sheriff's Office said he was aware that some of the people working for Wisan had been targeted for scorn and harassment and had heard about the incident Friday, but that it occurred outside Washington County so his office was not involved.

Adams did say, however, that Roundy has contacted the sheriff's office to set up a meeting with Sheriff Kirk Smith.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office does have one deputy assigned to Hildale and the Mohave County Sheriff's Office is looking to put a deputy in the Colorado City area.

Trish Carter, media spokeswoman for the Mohave County Sheriff's office, said for several years the office has been looking to have a new position in that area and that the Board of Supervisors recently approved the position.

Carter was not sure if the deputy would be exclusively for the Colorado City area or would be added to the current deputies who patrol Colorado City, Beaver Dam and the Arizona Strip.

Wisan said the trust's attorney, Jeffrey Shields, has been in contact with the attorney for Colorado City to ensure the city marshals handle the recent investigations properly.

"We are just watching to see what happens," Wisan said. "I would like to see the police pursue the matter and bring those involved to justice."

Wisan said the Arizona Attorney General's Office, as well as the Mohave County Attorney and Sheriff's offices, are aware of the situation and will get involved if local law enforcement doesn't handle the situation appropriately.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published October 10, 2007
 
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