08/05/2026
Special Prosecutor Finds Deputyโs April 20 Use of Deadly Force Lawful and Justified; No Charges Filed
SWEETWATER COUNTY, Wyo. โ An independent criminal investigation and prosecutorial review of the April 20, 2026, deputy-involved shooting at the Sweetwater Heights apartment complex in Rock Springs have concluded. The special prosecutor assigned to review the incident found that Sweetwater County Sheriffโs Deputy Nathaniel Hull acted lawfully and that no criminal charges will be filed.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation, and Sarah Chavez Harkins, Carbon County Attorney serving as special prosecutor for the Sweetwater County Attorneyโs Office, reviewed the evidence and applicable federal and Wyoming law. She determined that Deputy Hullโs use of deadly force was constitutionally and statutorily justified.
The incident began when Rock Springs Police Department officers responded to 2152 Century Boulevard following a reported hit-and-run in the apartment complex parking lot. During the response, dispatch received information that Zander Bowlin, 18, an Arkansas native living in Rock Springs, had shot himself, was suicidal, possessed several fi****ms, and might shoot responding officers.
When officers entered the upstairs apartment to render aid, they found Bowlin in a bedroom holding a handgun to his neck. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon before withdrawing from the apartment and beginning the evacuation of neighboring residents.
Deputy Hull arrived to assist and took a position outside the apartment building. He made verbal contact with Bowlin on the apartmentโs exterior balcony. After observing that Bowlin was armed, Deputy Hull moved behind cover and repeatedly ordered Bowlin to show his hands and drop the weapon.
Bowlin continued moving between the apartment and the balcony while armed with different fi****ms. According to the investigation, Bowlin pointed fi****ms toward Deputy Hull on multiple occasions. Deputy Hull remained behind cover and did not fire during those earlier encounters.
Bowlin eventually emerged carrying an AR-platform rifle. He turned toward the area where patrol vehicles, law enforcement officers, and residents evacuating the building were located and lowered the rifle in their direction.
Deputy Hull ordered Bowlin to drop the rifle. Bowlin then turned the rifle toward Deputy Hull, who fired three rounds from his duty pistol, striking and incapacitating Bowlin.
Law enforcement officers maintained cover while a tactical team entered the apartment and secured the scene. When tactical officers reached Bowlin, they found four fi****ms on his person and in his immediate area: two handguns in his waistband, another handgun beside him, and the AR-platform rifle along the balcony railing. Multiple recovered fi****ms, including the rifle, were loaded.
Emergency medical personnel treated Bowlin and transported him to Sweetwater Memorial Hospital. He was later flown to a Salt Lake City medical facility, where he died on April 25, 2026, from injuries caused by Deputy Hullโs gunfire.
The completed investigation also clarified the nature of Bowlinโs earlier self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators did not determine whether Bowlin intended the shot to be fatal. A later medical examination found that the bullet had traveled just beneath the skin of his shoulder, caused little muscle damage, and produced a superficial wound. The injury did not incapacitate him.
The special prosecutor concluded that Bowlinโs actions created a direct and immediate threat to Deputy Hull, other officers, and members of the public who were being evacuated. She found that Deputy Hull reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury and that he used only the force necessary to stop the threat.
The review found no evidence that Deputy Hull acted with ill will, malicious intent, or any unlawful purpose. Accordingly, in her July 31, 2026, final determination, the special prosecutor declined to pursue criminal charges, bringing the prosecutorial review to a close.
โPublic scrutiny is appropriate whenever a law enforcement officer uses deadly force,โ Sheriff Rich Fischer said. โTo ensure that scrutiny, DCI investigated this incident, and an outside prosecutor reviewed the evidence. The complete record shows that Deputy Hull took cover, communicated what he was observing, repeatedly ordered Bowlin to drop his weapons, and fired only after Bowlin lowered a rifle toward officers and residents and then turned it toward Deputy Hull.โ
โTwo things can be true at the same time: any loss of human life is tragic, and we are also profoundly grateful that no one else was injured,โ Fischer continued. โThere are moments in this profession when every available option carries grave consequences, yet an officer must still make a decision in seconds. These findings confirm that Deputy Hull acted lawfully to stop an immediate threat to human life. We appreciate DCI and Special Prosecutor Harkins for their thorough and impartial work, and we appreciate the communityโs patience while that work was completed.โ
The DCI investigative file and special prosecutorโs final determination are maintained by their respective agencies, not the Sweetwater County Sheriffโs Office. Requests for access should be directed to the appropriate public records custodian.
# # #
