GREELEY — A jail inmate disarmed a Weld County Sheriff’s deputy and escaped with his gun Friday after being taken to North Colorado Medical Center’s emergency room for treatment. The inmate later died, apparently after shooting himself during a two-hour standoff with police.
Sheriff’s spokesman Tim Schwartz identified the escapee as Raul Alaniz, 32.
Alaniz was arrested Wednesday and booked into Weld County Jail on suspicion of two counts of assault on a police officer, criminal impersonation, attempting to influence a public servant, resisting arrest and violating parole. Court records indicate he had a bond hearing at 1 p.m. Friday in Weld District Court.
Alaniz also was facing charges of burglary and aggravated motor vehicle theft out of Larimer County from July 3.
While at the jail Friday morning, Alaniz complained he had blood in his urine, Schwartz said. Deputies transported him to NCMC, where he was treated in the emergency room. During a shift change at 3 p.m., Alaniz assaulted a corrections deputy and grabbed his .40-caliber handgun. He then walked out of the hospital and tried to commandeer a car in the parking lot.
After the carjacking failed, Alaniz fled north of the hospital grounds and broke into the second house from the corner of 15th Street and 21st Avenue, taking a hostage, Schwartz said.
The hospital was on lockdown during the manhunt and standoff.
Greeley resident Deanie Tomlinson was scheduled to be picked up from the hospital at 4 p.m. after having surgery but instead was watching SWAT team members raid the house across the street from her window.
“To me, it’s disgusting and aggravating that there are idiots out there like that,” Tomlinson said of Alaniz. “To me it’s just dirty. I hate those kind of people.”
Police evacuated the United Church of Christ at the corner of 15th Street and 21st Avenue. They also stopped and searched cars trying to leave the area and evacuated residents from nearby homes.
Michael Cisneros, 28, was unable to get to his house during the standoff.
“It’s not just that this is happening here,” he said. “It’s that this is the sixth or seventh major incident here in a matter of months.”
“I’ve always been a major defender of Greeley, but I’m starting to change my opinion,” Cisneros said.
