Wyoming sheriff’s official resigns amid wrongful death suit | Crime-and-courts

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by Ramirez’s mother, Debra Hinkel, says Colling fatally shot two people in the line of duty in Las Vegas and assaulted and illegally arrested a man who settled a personal injury lawsuit against the city.

Hinkel’s lawsuit against Colling, the Albany County Commission and former Sheriff David O’Malley seeks a jury trial and yet-to-be-determined damages.

Colling grew up in Laramie and knew Ramirez from school. Ramirez was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder which relatives say led to run-ins with and fear of law enforcement officers.

An advocacy group formed in response to Ramirez’s death praised Colling’s resignation.

“Derek Colling turning in his badge and gun is because of the efforts made by this community that fought for justice for Robbie Ramirez. Colling’s resignation is accountability, but it is not justice,” Karlee Provenza, executive director of Albany County for Proper Policing and a Democratic state legislator, said in a statement.

O’Malley hired Colling and promoted him from patrol deputy to patrol corporal after the shooting. O’Malley retired in 2020, leading to the appointment of Aaron Appelhans, a University of Wyoming Police Department sergeant, as Wyoming’s first Black sheriff.

Appelhans reassigned Colling to jail corporal in March.