Larimer County prosecutors have cleared two officers in the of a 22-year-old man authorities say was armed with a knife and making suicidal statements.
District Attorney Clifford E. Riedel said that Officers Adam Brunjes and Tyler Patterson “had every right to defend themselves with deadly physical force.”
David Wheat Jr. was killed in the July 18 encounter near the Colorado State University campus.
Police say Wheat attacked a woman with a knife before he was shot, taunting the officers and saying he didn’t care if they shot him, the letter said.
According to Riedel’s letter, Wheat lunged at the officers when he was shot.
Wheat’s brother told authorities the slain suspect had consumed tequila and “multiple painkillers” before the fatal encounter, the letter said.
Wheat had spoke about “suicide by cop” before he was shot, his brother told police.
Wheat died from multiple gunshot wounds, the county coroner’s office said.
The woman stabbed before the shooting was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
