Gillette Woman Arraigned on Felony Charge in District Court

An arraignment hearing was Tuesday in 4th Judicial District Court in Sheridan for a 40-year-old Gillette woman who is charged with a felony for threatening an individual with a firearm. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

On February 26, Kerri Avery was arrested for entering the cab of a semi-truck without the driver’s consent or knowledge, and then when confronted by the driver, threatening the man with a 9mm handgun. According to court documents, the semi-truck was parked at Common Cents in north Sheridan and Avery entered the cab of the truck while the driver was inside the convenience store. Avery fell forward out of the sleeper in the cab when the driver braked near the I-90 on-ramp. After the driver told Avery to get out of his truck, she responded by brandishing a firearm and threatening to kill the man. The driver then jumped out of his truck and began waving down traffic. A deputy with the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office who was in the area noticed the commotion and responded to the incident. Avery, soon after, was placed under arrest and taken into custody.

At an arraignment hearing Tuesday in District Court,  Avery pleaded not guilty to the charge of aggravated assault and battery. District Court Judge Darci Phillips scheduled a #2 stack two-day jury trial for September 19 and set the pretrial conference for August 16 at 9:30 am. Aggravated assault and battery is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.