Steven Shobert

A drunk driver crashed into an electrical pole and knocked out power for many City of Cody residents Sunday night, police say.

Steven H. Shobert, 48, was arrested in connection with the incident. Court records indicate it was Shobert’s second arrest in four days for alleged drunk driving, as he was also arrested Thursday in Worland.

At the request of prosecutors, Shobert was released from the Washakie County Detention Center on Friday so he could receive medical treatment for alcohol withdrawal, court records say; he was supposed to return to the Worland jail once his condition had stabilized. However, police say Shobert instead wound up in Cody, intoxicated, on Sunday night.

The crash occurred shortly after 10 p.m., in the 1600 block of Stampede Avenue. Shobert’s red Ford F-150 — the same one he allegedly drove while impaired in Worland — was apparently traveling west when it left the roadway, hit a fire hydrant and then the power pole, according to Cody police.

“Damage to the pole was significant enough to cause a large portion of the city to lose power for approximately two hours,” Cody Police Officer John Harris said in a statement. Although city electric workers restored power a few hours later, Harris said the crew wound up working through the night to replace the damaged pole.

Officers spotted a trail of vehicle fluid leading away from the scene, and around 10:30 p.m., a Park County Sheriff’s deputy found the truck near 8th Street and Skyline Drive, with Shobert inside. Cody police concluded that Shobert was impaired and took him into custody.

As for Thursday’s incident in Worland, charging documents allege Shobert drove to an off-duty Worland police officer’s home while impaired — and with a loaded pistol in his waistband.

When he arrived at Officer Andrew Cady’s home, Shobert reportedly wanted to talk about the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Washakie County resident Breanna Mitchell; Shobert said he’d thought about “taking matters in his own hands” and shooting a man that he thought might be responsible for Mitchell’s disappearance, Cady wrote in an affidavit.

“You can probably tell I’ve had a couple drinks,” Shobert reportedly said at another point, allegedly adding that he was also taking the prescription painkiller Dilaudid and probably shouldn’t be driving. 

Just a day earlier, Shobert had told a neighbor that Mitchell was in his house, prompting a search by authorities, Washakie County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Scheerer wrote in an affidavit. However, they didn’t find Mitchell, and Shobert explained that “he was just messing with his neighbor,” Scheerer wrote. The deputy called Wednesday’s incident “a direct waste of time and resources of law enforcement who are currently undergoing an extensive search for Mitchell.”

While at Cady’s home, Shobert allegedly drew his revolver and pointed it toward the officer’s house, where there were children inside.

Cady summoned help, and seven officers from the sheriff’s office and the Worland Police Department eventually responded and arrested Shobert.

“Shobert has a significant history of contacts with law enforcement involving alcohol and firearms,” Scheerer wrote, mentioning on incident in early 2021 in which Shobert was suicidal and predicted a “shoot-out” with police. The deputy added that Shobert “continually exhibits poor decision making by mixing the use of alcohol and firearms.”

His blood alcohol content was pegged at 0.15% — nearly double the legal limit for driving — five hours after Thursday’s incident, charging documents say.

In Washakie County, Shobert is facing misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol and unlawfully wearing or carrying a concealed weapon.

In Park County, jail records indicate that Cody police have recommended a felony count of property destruction totaling over $1,000, plus misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence of alcohol, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended license. However, it will ultimately be up to the Park County Attorney’s Office to determine which charges to prosecute.

Shobert is tentatively set to make his initial appearance in Park County Circuit Court on Wednesday morning.