Before getting into a lengthy standoff with police early Monday morning, prosecutors say a Powell man threatened to shoot his wife.

The Park County Attorney’s Office has charged 62-year-old Gregory P. Hilliard with a felony count of aggravated assault and battery in connection with the incident — along with misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and reckless endangerment.

Hilliard doesn’t have a criminal record, but “he is incredibly dangerous to the community,” Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Laura Newton argued at a Tuesday court hearing.

In asking that Hilliard’s bond be set at $75,000 cash, Newton noted that he refused police officers’ orders to come out of his home for nearly seven hours. The prosecutor also contended that Hilliard had threatened to kill people and had hurt his wife — a comment that prompted the defendant to briefly interject, protesting, “that’s wrong.”

Park County Circuit Court Magistrate Brianne Phillips ultimately accepted Newton’s $75,000 recommendation. Hilliard remained in custody on Wednesday.

Two calls

According to a summary of the incident prepared by Powell Police Investigator Chris Wallace, Hilliard’s wife initially called 911 around 10:19 p.m. Sunday, reporting that Hilliard had been drinking Fireball Whisky and was destroying their house. The woman reported that Hilliard hadn’t gotten physical with her, but was violent and unpredictable, Wallace’s affidavit says.

Two Powell police officers responded to the Hilliards’ home, but, to the woman’s apparent frustration, they determined they didn’t have cause to arrest Hilliard at that time, the affidavit says.

However, the woman called 911 again at 1:32 a.m. Monday. When officers returned to the residence, she reported that Hilliard became angry after he caught her trying to hide his rifles. In the ensuing argument, she said Hilliard threw things at her and struck her in the right forearm, where she was bleeding from a fresh cut, the affidavit says. (Hilliard later told police that he had thrown items toward his wife, but he denied hitting her, the document says.)

The woman also reported that Hilliard had gotten one of his guns and waved it around. Although he didn’t point the weapon directly at her, Hilliard “told [her] words to the effect of, ‘I should just shoot you!’” Wallace wrote of the woman’s account.

At that point, the officers felt they had enough evidence to charge Hilliard, the affidavit indicates. However, he refused to come out of the home, triggering a lengthy standoff.

The standoff

Hours into the incident, Hilliard spoke to police by phone and reportedly said he had two pistols close by.

When the officer handling the negotiations asked what he intended to do with the handguns, Hilliard was “noncommittal,” the affidavit says, “however, [he stated] if more than one officer came to his home, he would feel threatened.”

The comments Hilliard made during the encounter “prevented us from approaching the house,” Police Chief Jim Rhea said Monday. Officers isolated the area and summoned help from the Cody Police Department and the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Ultimately, the incident ended peacefully, with Hilliard coming out and surrendering to authorities around 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Police initially arrested Hilliard on suspicion of misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and of domestic assault. Prosecutors did file the endangerment charge for allegedly “wav[ing] a firearm in a threatening manner,” but opted for a count of domestic battery for the alleged blow to Hilliard’s wife’s arm. The county attorney’s office also added the felony count of aggravated assault and battery, alleging Hilliard threatened to shoot his wife with a drawn deadly weapon.

Bond conditions

At his initial court appearance on Tuesday, Hilliard indicated that he’s retired and that both he and his wife are disabled. Hilliard described his wife as his caregiver, saying he’s had two strokes and four surgeries on his back.

Hilliard’s wife apparently asked to have continued contact with her husband, but Newton asked that the couple not interact with each other while the case is pending.

“Whether or not she wants contact, it sounds like there’s a long history of domestic violence,” Newton said, saying police had been called to the couple’s home a half-dozen times over the past year.

The prosecutor also asked that Hilliard be barred from returning to the Gilbert Street residence if he makes bail, though Hilliard protested, saying it’s “the only place I’ve got to go.”

“I have nothing,” he said.

Although Magistrate Phillips adopted the prosecution’s recommendations, the prohibition on returning home and other conditions prohibiting him from drinking or possessing firearms appeared to be largely academic for now, as Hilliard said there was “no way” he could come up with $75,000. Phillips noted that, once he has a court-appointed attorney on board, Hilliard may be able to seek a bond modification.

A preliminary hearing in the case is tentatively set for Sept. 19.