Greenwood Village police arrested a man they say is an Iraq war veteran who shot at an officer Sunday and carjacked a vehicle.
Detective Michelle Ponikiski said 25-year-old Robert Ziarnick surrendered to two officers in Cherry Creek State Park at 7:40 p.m. Police had been searching for the man since about 3:30 p.m., forcing authorities to warn residents of the south-metro suburb, she said.
“We learned that (Ziarnick) just returned from Iraq and may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder,” Ponikiski said.
Ziarnick’s wife called police to a Motel 6 near Interstate 25 and Arapahoe Road around 3 p.m. Sunday because the couple was having an argument, Ponikiski said.
Ziarnick fled the scene on a motorcycle and was spotted by another officer in the 5400 block of South Dayton Street. There, Ziarnick abandoned the motorcycle and fled on foot, police said.
While running through local residents’ backyards, Ziarnick fired between four and six shots from a 9mm handgun at a pursuing sergeant, Ponikiski said. The officer was not injured.
Ziarnick then carjacked a 2005 silver Acura at gunpoint from the area of South Dayton and Progress Place, she said. The driver of the car escaped and also was not injured.
Police later located the Acura about one mile east of where it was taken.
Police initiated reverse 911 calls through the eastern half of Greenwood Village, warning people to stay inside for their safety.
Ziarnick, who police said served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was found in the park about four hours after he fled authorities.
“Our emergency-response teams determined that Cherry Creek State Park was a likely place (to look) since he was on foot,” Ponikiski said.
Because Ziarnick’s wife and family could not be reached for comment, it was unclear whether he suffers from post- traumatic stress disorder.
But officials said the disorder has become a serious issue for the Denver Veterans Administration Medical Center since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It can be a dangerous diagnosis to have,” said Dr. Hop Vu, a psychiatric resident at the Denver VA hospital, who was not commenting about Ziarnick but talked about the condition in general. “It affects the interactions soldiers have with their wives and children.”
Vu said the disorder was often diagnosed too late in the past. “It can have far-reaching effects,” Vu said.
Staff writer JP Eichmiller can be reached at 303-820-1201 or jeichmiller@denverpost.com.
