An electrician who was shot by the Park County SWAT team after a dispute over a $10 late car-registration fee died in an ambulance Saturday night on his way to a hospital.
Roger Talbert, 48, was shot after authorities say he charged at a deputy and tried to wrestle away the officer’s gun.
Undersheriff Monte Gore said the incident began when Talbert became unruly while at the Park County Clerk and Recorder’s Office in Fairplay on Friday afternoon.
The clerk pushed the panic button, and Talbert left in a Jeep headed toward Alma, Gore said.
When deputies first confronted Talbert, they say, he pointed a black shotgun at them.
Talbert disappeared into the woods, and a reverse 911 call was activated to alert neighbors that an armed and disgruntled man was in the area.
The SWAT team encountered Talbert in a Placer Valley home Saturday night when the shooting occurred.
Sunday morning, the El Paso County Metro Bomb Squad teamed up with Park County deputies and began searching the house for booby traps.
Authorities told 9News that the Placer Valley home on Quartzville Road belonged to Talbert.
Inside they found a sophisticated marijuana farm and survivalist equipment, including numerous firearms, a police scanner, a suit designed for camouflage in mountain terrain, an assortment of knives and other outdoor gear.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting and is expected to advise the district attorney’s office of the outcome.
The Park County coroner has scheduled an autopsy today.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
