Updated 9:30 a.m. Jan. 7, 2026: Eighth Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin announced that Larimer County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Conner was legally justified in his use of force when shooting at Matthew Wright on Nov. 16, 2025, and that no criminal charges would be filed against the deputy.
A man and a Larimer County deputy were injured Sunday morning in an incident that started with an attempted traffic stop and ended in a police shooting, according to county officials.
The unidentified Larimer County deputy attempted to pull over a driver near Grand Market Avenue and TPC Parkway at 2:32 a.m. Sunday, according to a the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s officials said the driver — identified by investigators as 34-year-old Matthew David Wright — fled, leading the deputy on a chase down Colorado 60.
The deputy forced Wright to a stop just east of Interstate 25 on Colorado 60, but Wright began to reaccelerate toward the deputy, according to the sheriff’s office. That’s when the deputy “fired his service weapon.”
Larimer County sheriff’s officials declined to answer questions about whether Wright was shot or what the bullet hit, but said both Wright and the deputy were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.
Wright was not struck by gunfire, Fort Collins investigators said in a .
An adult passenger in the suspect vehicle was not injured during the incident, sheriff’s officials said.
Wright was released from the hospital later Sunday morning and arrested on charges of vehicular eluding, attempted third-degree assault, reckless driving, speeding and driving with a suspended license, . The deputy was also treated and released, sheriff’s officials said.
Fort Collins police officers and the Eighth Judicial Critical Incident Response Team are investigating the shooting.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
