Special Prosecutor: No Charges In July Pinedale Shooting After Self-Defense Review

The original story by Nick Perkins for Oil City News.

An independent prosecutor has decided no criminal charges will be filed in a July 11, 2025 shooting in Pinedale involving residents Paul Browning and Craig Rice, according to a recent update from the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).

Because of what officials called an “ethical conflict” in the Sublette County Attorney’s Office, the Sublette County Board of County Commissioners brought in an outside lawyer to handle the case. They appointed Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen as special prosecutor. The statement from SCSO did not explain the nature of the conflict.

Itzen conducted an independent review of the incident, looking over the full investigation done by the Sheriff’s Office. That included:

• The immediate circumstances of the confrontation;
• The actions of both Browning and Rice;
• The physical evidence collected at the scene.

According to the Sheriff’s release, Itzen concluded that Browning’s behavior, his verbal threats, and the object he was holding “created conditions that could reasonably be interpreted as presenting an imminent threat to Mr. Rice.”

Because of that, along with how quickly things escalated and how close the two men were to each other, Itzen found that Rice’s use of force was consistent with self-defense under Wyoming law.

With that decision, authorities say, the criminal review of the case is now officially closed.