DENVER—A sheriff’s deputy underwent surgery Friday for wounds he suffered in a gunfight that left a suspect dead.
A state trooper was also hospitalized for a gunshot wound from the same fight. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said both officers were in fair condition.
The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Carlos Becerra, was shot in the head during a confrontation with officers at a DUI checkpoint Thursday night, Jackson said. He died just before 2 a.m. Friday at a hospital.
Jackson said Becerra had a lengthy criminal history but he did not elaborate.
Becerra was a passenger in an SUV that had been pulled over at the checkpoint, which was operated by officers from several Denver-area agencies.
Jackson said the driver, Julius Michael Poorman, 30, was arrested for investigation of drunken driving, driving with a broken windshield and failing to appear in court on a harassment charge.
When officers opened a passenger door of the SUV, Becerra emerged with a gun, authorities said. Officers wrestled with him and gunfire erupted, authorities said.
Arapahoe County sheriff’s Lt. Steve Curti had surgery for a gunshot wound in his left wrist, Sheriff Grayson Robinson said in a written statement. Robinson said the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.
Curti is a 27-year law enforcement veteran.
State Trooper Dennis Wilder was shot in the left foot and was doing well in a hospital Friday, the State Patrol said.
Wilder, a nine-year veteran, and two other troopers won the patrol’s Medal of Valor award for their handling of a December 2000 high-speed chase while under fire from suspects, the patrol said.
Curti and Wilder did not want to be interviewed, their agencies said.
Denver Police Officer Ryan Cobernick suffered a broken nose in the fight at the DUI checkpoint. He was treated and released, Jackson said.
