On December 26th, 2018 at about 7:53 a.m. the Lander Police Department dispatched officers to a house in Lander for an aggravated assault report.
The reporting party explained that 46-year-old James Whiteplume had broken into a home and hit a male victim with a pipe.
Court documents show the victim received about a 1″ laceration on top of his head along with a contusing/abrasion to his left bicep and a long contusion across his back consistent with the shape of the described pipe.
The reporting party explained that the two homeowners heard, “a loud bang, then had their door that had been locked kicked open.” Whiteplume then allegedly entered the home with an approximately 20″ long pipe in his hand, he did not say anything to the homeowners, then began swinging the pipe at the male homeowner. A female homeowner immediately called LPD, after announcing she was calling the police out loud, Whiteplume ran out the door.
Court documents show the homeowners knew Whiteplume and had previously had a disagreement over “some clothes at a thrift shop.”
After a search through several neighborhoods, Lander Police located Whiteplume. The suspected pipe was located in Whiteplume’s pants. He was taken into custody.
According to court documents, Whiteplume denied striking the man with the pipe, telling officers that the female homeowner instead struck the male homeowner with it. The male homeowner reiterated to officers that it was Whiteplume that had struck him.
Whiteplume currently faces one count of Aggravated Assault and Battery and one count of Unlawful Entry Into An Occupied Structure.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and fines of up to $10,000.
On January 9th Whiteplume waived his preliminary hearing, transferring the matter to District Court at a later date.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.