"Several Strikes and Dry Stuns" Were Used on Uninvolved Neighbor in Jan 2024 Springtree Incident, Resisting Case Later Dismissed

Update | Nov 13, 2025: This article has been updated after uncovering further reports relating to the incident.

Between the late hours of January 1 and early morning of January 2, 2024, several GPD officers responded to a 911 call where Karen Smyder repeatedly alleged that someone was trying to kill her.

Smyder's arrest report, written by Officer Andrew Milman, states she "did not provide the 911 operator her address and the general address was determined by using a 911 phone ping." The report continues, "Officers ultimately responded and ended up at [Smyder's] next door neighbor's house. [Smyder's] next door neighbor was not compliant with officers and force ultimately had to be used to detain him. Investigation revealed the next door neighbor was an uninvolved citizen and only had police contact due to [Smyder's] 911 call."

The neighbor's detention goes above the level of a Terry stop or investigative stop, as it involved him being apprehended by officers in his residence with force.

Smyder was later found in her home by herself and she reportedly told officers there was no threat, stating she called 911 due to past events. 

While being transported to jail, Smyder reportedly threatened to kill Milman and the other officers. She was granted a pretrial diversion for a count of making a false 911 call, but later received a withheld adjudication for violating the agreement by not having proof of a mental health evaluation. Smyder was also charged with threatening a public servant by Milman but prosecutors dropped the count within the same month of her arrest.

In Smyder’s arrest report, Milman did not justify the neighbor’s forceful detainment beyond noncompliance. It’s unclear from the report how the neighbor was not complaint. Milman does not specify how much force was used on the neighbor, but further reports show it was a lot. 

Court records show Jerald Chavers, reportedly standing at 5'11 and 200 lbs, had a sworn complaint filed against him for resisting an officer without violence under the same agency report number as Smyder’s case. The entire first page of the report is redacted without an explanation on the court records website, however, the second page is viewable, stating the following:

“We went to the camper in the front yard to make contact with the occupants. [Chavers] looked out a window on the east side of the camper (bedroom compartment) and K9 Ofc. Ripley observed a female laying on her back in the bedroom. It appeared the female was being held down. [Chavers] came to the front door and refused to let LEO inside to make sure the safety of all occupants or come outside to talk to us. He started to retreat back to the bedroom where the unknown female (later ID as the Wit 1) was last seen. Ofc. Snitselaar opened the unlocked front door and to prevent [Chavers] from going back to the Wit 1 or grabbing a weapon. [Chavers] ignored a command from Ofc. Snitselaar and Ofc. Snitselaar grabbed his wrist. [Chavers] turned to Ofc. Snitselaar and attempted to tackle him to the ground. Ofc. Milman and Snitselaar both grabbed [Chavers] and he turned towards me. He attempted to tackle me out the front door and I heard "watch your gun." Fearing that [Chavers] was attempting to get my gun, I reposition my body away from [Chavers] and LEO was able to drag [Chavers] outside the trailer to the ground. He continued to ignore commands from LEO to place his hands behind his back (right hand was in his waistband under his body) and was physically resisting by pulling his left arm away from LEO. LEO had to give several strikes and dry stuns from the taser to apprehend [Chavers].”

Milman, Snitselaar and Ripley were all listed as witnesses by prosecutors in Smyder’s case, court records show.

Chavers’ case file shows he resided at the house next to Smyder’s, further affirming the reports reference the same incident. It's unclear who wrote Chavers’ sworn complaint because of the redaction to the first page.

Due to the redaction, GnvInfo is unable to confirm if the sworn complaint was written on scene or if GPD pursued charges after the incident. The second page of the report doesn’t reference whether or not GPD called for emergency medical services.

Chavers’ sworn complaint states he began resisting after he “ignored a command” from Snitselaar who then grabbed his wrist. However, the report doesn’t say what “command” Chavers “ignored.” 

In the month following the incident, a state attorney dismissed Chavers’ case.