Casper man pleads guilty to biting two police officers

Sylvester Jakeson Seaton pleaded guilty to biting two Casper police officers during a late April arrest.

The 21-year-old entered Alford guilty pleas to two counts of felony interference before Judge Kerri Johnson on Tuesday. An Alford plea allows a defendant to maintain innocence while accepting that the state has enough evidence for a guilty verdict. Seaton did not have to verbally describe how his actions met the legal elements of the charges. Judge Johnson relied on the police report for the factual basis of the plea.

The plea agreement allows the state to request up to eight years in prison on the two concurrent counts. Public defender Marty Scott told the judge there were questions about whether the officers were in the lawful performance of their duties. Scott noted that Seaton and his legal team can argue for probation or entry into the Youthful Offender Transition Program. Prosecutor Pat LeBrun agreed to the terms of the deal.

Casper police responded to a reported disturbance at a west Casper residence on Kearny Avenue on Sunday, April 19. Officers entered the backyard and peered into a trailer window while knocking on the door. They observed three people inside: Seaton, a 20-year-old woman, and a 27-year-old man holding a box cutter. The woman opened the door and told the man to drop the knife and stop tweaking. Officers noted the man was bleeding from his arms, and he stated he had cut himself.

Police reports describe Seaton as confused, dazed, and possibly intoxicated. Officers told him he was not free to leave due to an active investigation into a possible assault. Seaton attempted to exit the trailer as officers tried to handcuff him. He pulled away and was taken to the ground. One of his companions urged him to stop resisting, according to the affidavit.

While rolling on the ground, Seaton grabbed one officer's testicles through his pants and yanked. He bit the other officer on the shin hard enough to leave a bruise. The officer who had been grabbed struck Seaton in the face twice to make him let go. The affidavit described this action as effective. As a nearby patrol unit arrived with a WRAP full-body restraint system, Seaton continued to roll and fight. He lifted his head and bit into the upper right groin area of the officer he had just grabbed. This second bite broke the skin and ripped the officer's pants. The officer initially thought he had been stabbed.

Both officers used fist strikes to make Seaton release their hold. They then secured him in the WRAP system and took him to the jail. Both officers were evaluated at a hospital. The officer bitten in the groin suffered a laceration that required a hospital visit. The officer bitten on the shin sustained a bruise.

At his initial appearance in circuit court on Monday, April 20, Seaton claimed he had been overstimulated and felt roofied during the incident. Judge Cynthia Sweet set his bond at $50,000 cash or surety in April. Seaton told the court that if an officer had not been on top of his neck, he would not have been bitten. Judge Johnson reduced the bond to $25,000 cash or surety on Tuesday. Seaton remained in custody following the hearing.