The 40-year-old man who was fatally shot in a confrontation with Loveland police Saturday died by suicide, according to the Larimer County Coroner’s Office.
David Matthew Harper, of Fort Collins, shot himself in the head just before an officer fired shots at him, according to the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the shooting.
The incident began around 11:40 p.m. Saturday as a single-car rollover crash on Colorado 402 between South St. Louis and Boise avenues. The first officer to arrive on the scene discovered Harper inside the vehicle, holding a pistol.
The officer, who has not been identified, told Harper to drop the gun; Harper instead shot himself, authorities said. The officer fired multiple times at Harper after Harper fired, according to the sheriff’s office. Harper died at the scene.
It was not immediately clear Wednesday whether the officer’s shots struck Harper; the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment, and the coroner’s office said it was not releasing that information Wednesday.
A second Loveland police officer arrived at the scene as the shots were fired, the sheriff’s office said, but that officer did not fire. The incident was captured by the officers’ body cameras, Loveland police said.
Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave, Loveland police said.
