Sheridan Man Enters Plea on Interference With a Peace Officer Charge

An arraignment hearing for 21-year-old Nicholas Bell of Sheridan was held this week in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan. Bell pleaded “not guilty” to the  charge of Interference With a Peace Officer, which is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. District Court Judge John Fenn set the trial for December 7 and scheduled the pretrial conference for November 5 at 11:30 am. Judge Fenn continued Bell’s bond under the same terms and conditions that were previously set in Circuit Court.

According to court documents, the Interference charge stems from an incident that occurred on June 10 involving a vehicle that had been pulled over by an officer with the Sheridan Police Department. The driver of the vehicle was placed under arrest for Driving While Under the Influence. During the stop, the officer noticed that Bell was hiding under the backseat of the vehicle, and while exiting the vehicle, Bell attempted to run through the officer and both Bell and the SPD officer sustained minor injuries from the fracus. Also while enroute to the Sheridan County Detention Center, Bell repeatedly slammed his head into the cage of the police car, causing a cut to the front of his forehead.