Wyoming transgender bartender faces aggravated assault charge after street gun incident
Rihanna Kelver, a transgender manager at the Crowbar bar in Wyoming, was arrested for drawing a pistol during a September 2025 confrontation and now faces aggravated assault and a misdemeanor charge.
On the night of Sept. 13, 2025, transgender bartender Rihanna Kelver was standing outside the Crowbar in Laramie, Wyoming, when a patron allegedly shouted profanity and slurs at the establishment. Kelver says the man, Scott Durham, escalated the exchange with further insults, prompting her to confront him across the street. Durham shoved Kelver, who fell in the crosswalk and then produced a teal SCCY.380 subcompact pistol from her hip satchel, cocking the slide and aiming it at Durham.
Police arrived, allowed Durham to leave, and subsequently arrested Kelver, charging her with aggravated assault for pointing the firearm and a misdemeanor for initially stating she had drawn a knife. Kelver later corrected her statement, showing officers the gun and citing bipolar II disorder, ADHD, and complex PTSD as factors affecting her recollection. The case raises questions about the applicability of Wyoming’s “stand your ground” statute and whether the shove constituted a legitimate threat.
Why it matters
The case tests how self-defense laws apply when mental health and disputed verbal abuse are involved.
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