Jury convicts Greybull man for pulling a gun on two motorists

A jury in Big Horn County convicted a Greybull man last week of five charges stemming from September 2024 road rage incident in which he pulled a gun and pointed it at two people in a vehicle.

Grady Gerritt Swiftney, 50, was found guilty of aggravated assault and battery and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor charges of reckless endangering, driving or having control of a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, second offense and possession of a controlled substance, marijuana.

A sixth charge, alleging open container, was dropped prior to trial, according to Deputy Big Horn County Attorney Jennifer Kirk, who prosecuted the trial held in the Fifth Judicial District Court in Basin.

The incident that led to the filing of charges occurred Sept. 16, 2024, as Swiftney was returning from a camping trip.  According to court documents, two witnesses told investigators that Swiftney stopped his vehicle in front of theirs, turned its hazard lights on, exited and walked toward them.  They said Swiftney yelled at them, ordering them to roll down their window, and that when they refused to do so, he walked away brandishing a black semi-automatic pistol and pointing it at them.

Inside Swiftney’s truck, investigators found a Glock 42 .380 semi-automatic pistol with one in the chamber and a magazine of five rounds.

Swiftney’s trial began on the morning of Monday, Sept. 8, with the impaneling of the jury.  The state began making its case after lunch and continued through Tuesday early afternoon, calling six witnesses including the victim, an eyewitness, three law enforcement officers and a forensic analyst from the Wyoming State Crime Lab.

The defense called only one witness — Swiftney himself — before court adjourned for the day.

Kirk said the jury began deliberations at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. About an hour later, they informed the court that they’d reached a unanimous verdict.  That verdict — findings of guilty on all counts — was read at noon.

Sentencing will most likely occur in mid-November, following the completion of a pre-sentence investigation, said Kirk.

The most serious charge against Swiftney, felony aggravated assault and battery, carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $10,000.  The maximums on the other felony, possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent, are five years and/or up to $1,000 in fines.