Det. Dan Brite,who was critically wounded earlier this month in , is awake, alert and communicating with his family, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
“Det. Brite is still considered to be in critical condition, but has been making small steps towards recovery,” said Lauren Lekander, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
Brite, a trained SWAT officer who is part of the sheriff’s office’s impact team, during what investigators described as a rampage by 40-year-old Randall Rodick.During Friday’s briefing, authorities provided the first real details in the encounter, which spanned a residential area in Parker and involved well over 100 gunshots.
Happy to announce Det. Brite's progress- awake, alert & communicating with family. We are SO grateful!
— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff)
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Rodick was carrying a large-caliber rifle during the shootout, firing at officers and bystanders as he drove a recreational vehicle through a field behind his home and near Parker Adventist Hospital and a nearby elementary school.
Rodick later died at the scene in a shootout with a Parker police officer.
Further details on Brite’s recovery have not been released. Doctors have said they are optimistic about the former Marine and married father’s prognosis, though he still faces months of recovery.
