John Melbraaten

A California man has finished serving his time for a January standoff with Cody police, but he’s not out of the woods yet.

At a Thursday hearing in Park County Circuit Court, John M. Melbraaten pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of interference with a peace officer in connection with the Jan. 21 incident. As part of a plea deal, Melbraaten was credited for the 44 days he served in jail and the case was closed.

However, rather than being released from the Park County Detention Center, Melbraaten was immediately transferred to the Hot Springs County Detention Center in Thermopolis, where he’s facing a felony drug charge that predated the standoff. Court records indicate the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation has also been probing other drug-related allegations involving the 41-year-old.

“Mr. Melbraaten is going to be in somebody’s custody for a long time into the near future,” Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Eichele predicted at Thursday’s sentencing.

The backstory

Some of Melbraaten’s trouble can be traced to a February 2025 traffic stop in Thermopolis. Court records say an officer there found a gun, a small amount of marijuana, apparent meth residue and a water bong containing 40 grams of liquid that tested positive for meth in Melbraaten’s vehicle.

Melbraaten pleaded guilty to a felony count of possessing a controlled substance last July and was slated to receive three years of supervised probation. However, he failed to respond to the Department of Corrections personnel preparing a presentence report and a warrant was issued for his arrest in early September.

Meanwhile, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation intercepted a package that was addressed to Melbraaten and was suspected to contain illegal drugs, court records say.

The standoff

On the morning of Jan. 21, a DCI agent approached Melbraaten at his C Street residence to ask about the package and arrest him on the pending Hot Springs County warrant. Melbraaten instead pulled out a revolver and drove off, charging documents say. Officers found him inside his Lincoln LS a couple blocks away, pointing a gun at his head.

A four-and-a-half-hour standoff ensued.

During negotiations, Melbraaten reportedly said he wanted to kill himself rather than be arrested and contended he’d been wronged by law enforcement. At one point, Melbraaten got out of his car and said he was going to use the bathroom, court records say, but officers fired so-called “less lethal munitions” when he refused to take his hands out of pockets. 

Melbraaten has said he was trying to surrender when he was struck with bean bag-like rounds in the stomach and face.

He later surrendered without further incident.

‘Ample penalty’

At Thursday’s hearing, Circuit Court Judge Joey Darrah found Melbraaten was unable to pay any costs, assessments or fines for the interference, noting the 44 days he’d already served in jail.

“I think that that’s ample penalty for what has occurred here,” Darrah said.

Defense attorney Tim Blatt had indicated that it might be difficult for his client to make any payments, explaining that the Hot Springs County case “might tie Mr. Melbraaten up for a while as well.”