Chaundra Barkell charged with felony after allegedly attacking officers

Chaundra Barkell, born in 1986, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison after Cheyenne police charged her with felony interference with a police officer causing bodily injury, alongside three misdemeanors tied to a Nov. 2 car crash on the city’s east side. The 40-year-old Cheyenne woman could spend a decade behind bars if convicted on the top count, a severe escalation from what began as a traffic collision on Campstool Road. As of midday Nov. 4, she has not had a preliminary hearing scheduled, nor has she been issued a bond, leaving her case in legal limbo while she remains presumed innocent under the law.

A Jeep, a Bus, and a Toyota on Campstool Road

The charges stem from a chaotic sequence that, according to her criminal affidavit, began when Barkell allegedly drove erratically behind a bus and deliberately struck a Toyota pickup that tried to pass her. She was behind the wheel of a Jeep, following a bus down Campstool Road in east Cheyenne, honking and driving erratically, with the Toyota pickup trailing behind them.

Witnesses told police that Barkell suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, then veered onto a side street and onto the shoulder. When the Toyota tried to drive past, Barkell allegedly steered directly into the truck’s side. She then fled the scene until the Toyota sped up and rear-ended her Jeep.

Barkell Resists Officers with Violence

When police arrived and tried to speak with Barkell, she refused to exit the vehicle. She ignored multiple requests to roll down the window, finally lowering it only partially, and did not comply with commands to get out of the car. One officer attempted to open the door, at which point Barkell allegedly began aggressively kicking him, then punched him in the face and chest. She also bit him on the shoulder, breaking the skin, according to the affidavit.

A second officer shattered the passenger-side window to try to gain control of Barkell from behind, but his attempt to place her in handcuffs resulted in multiple cuts from the broken glass. Barkell then reportedly went rigid to prevent officers from removing her from the vehicle.

The Ambulance Claim

Officers eventually placed her in a WRAP restraint and loaded her into an ambulance for transport to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for treatment. While en route, Barkell allegedly told officers that the bus she had been following was actually an ambulance and that she was pursuing it to the hospital. She claimed the Toyota had turned in front of her specifically to block her path to medical care, which is why she struck it.

No Hearing, No Bond

In addition to the felony charge of interference with a police officer causing bodily injury, Barkell faces misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, resisting arrest, and failure to stop causing damage, each carrying lesser potential penalties than the 10-year maximum on the felony. Under Wyoming law, a conviction on the interference charge alone could result in significant prison time, though she is presumed innocent until she pleads or is found guilty in court.

The case now sits at an early procedural stage. As of midday Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Laramie County court system had not scheduled a preliminary hearing for Barkell, and no bond had been set, meaning she remains in custody without a path to pretrial release currently on the record. The next dated event in the case will be whatever hearing or arraignment the court schedules next.