A distraught Denver man who Winter Park police said was intent on “committing suicide by cops” was subdued late Thursday night in the Colorado resort community after he began firing his .45-caliber Colt handgun at officers.
The man, Brian Wilson, 52, told police officers during a three-hour standoff that “he had nothing to live for” and kept talking about family problems, said Glen Trainor, chief of the Fraser- Winter Park Police Department.
Trainor said that on Wednesday, Wilson’s wife filed a missing-person report on her husband with Denver police.
Early on Thanksgiving Day, Wilson’s family contacted Winter Park police and said Wilson might be in Winter Park intending to commit suicide, Trainor said.
Trainor said his department was told that Wilson was armed with a .45- caliber Colt handgun and was driving a 1993 Jeep Cherokee.
About 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Wilson was spotted on U.S. 40 near the Winter Park Ski Area.
Police stopped the vehicle and were attempting to remove Wilson from the Jeep when he produced the pistol and threatened officers.
Wilson then pulled his car into the middle of U.S. 40, blocking the highway.
“He was agitated and uncooperative,” Trainor said.
At that point, Trainor said, the officers retreated and began negotiating with Wilson, who told them he was intent on killing himself.
During the standoff, Wilson kept his car running and was drinking vodka, which he was pouring from a 1.75-liter vodka bottle into a cup.
After approximately three hours of negotiations, Wilson got out of his Jeep and began walking toward the officers carrying the Colt by its barrel and making comments about “committing suicide by cops.”
“We were very concerned,” Trainor said.
The gun was cocked and the safety was off, he said.
Trainor said Wilson was ordered to put the gun down and to give up, which he refused to do.
Police then fired a single bean-bag round at Wilson, striking him in the lower chest and knocking him to the ground.
As officers approached Wilson, he grabbed the handgun and indiscriminately fired four rounds as officers closed in, police said.
Trainor said that officers were able to rush Wilson and pin his wrist to the ground.
Fortunately, Trainor said, none of his officers was hurt.
Wilson was taken into custody on suspicion of first-degree assault on a peace officer, felony menacing and prohibited use of a weapon. He is being held in the Grand County Jail without bond.
He was being evaluated Friday by a mental health professional, Trainor said.
Trainor said that during the standoff, which closed U.S. 40, officers present included members of the Fraser-Winter Park Police Department, the Granby Police Department, the Grand County Sheriff’s Department and the Colorado State Patrol.
Trainor said the vodka bottle was empty by the end of the standoff.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
