A state trooper fatally shot himself last night as police investigated a domestic-violence complaint against him.
The incident happened at about 9:20 p.m. in Woodland Park, according to a media release by the Woodland Park Police Department.
Police said a woman with visible injuries to her face and neck came to police and reported she had been “a victim of domestic violence.”
The victim told police there were several weapons in her home, although none had been used against her.
Police went to the residence, waited outside and phoned the man inside to ask him to come out.
The suspect, identified as John Hayward, 57, a Colorado State Patrol trooper, drove away from the house, and police followed at “normal speeds” for a short distance before Hayward attempted to speed off.
His car turned into a parking lot on Evergreen Heights Drive, police said, and Hayward shot himself once. He died at the scene.
Hayward began his career with the State Patrol in January 1999 and was assigned to the Woodland Park area, where he worked his entire career.
The State Patrol is not involved in the investigation of the incident. Hayward was off-duty at the time of the incident, and the gun used to take his life was “his personal property” — not a weapon issued by the patrol.
The incident remains under investigation.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
