A man fatally shot by police on Tuesday shot two Colorado state troopers and fired on a sheriff’s deputy as he fled an attempted traffic stop near Woodland Park, law enforcement officials said.
A trooper tried to pull over a blue Subaru Impreza about 7:15 a.m. near U.S. 24 and Piney Point Lane outside of Woodland Park, about 17 miles northwest of Colorado Springs, the State Patrol said.
The driver started firing at the trooper, who was hit multiple times, State Patrol chief Col. Matthew Packard said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
The man fled the scene, and the wounded trooper said over the radio that he had been shot. As a second trooper who was nearby drove toward the shooting, the man passed him while heading in the opposite direction and opened fire, hitting the second trooper, Packard said.
Both troopers were able to drive themselves to UCHealth Pikes Peak Regional Hospital, which is just across the highway, and walk into the emergency room, Packard said.
Trooper Clark Tinan, who sustained minor injuries, was treated and discharged, according to the State Patrol. He has been with the agency for 15 years. Trooper Skylar Hoehn, who has been with the patrol for 10 years, remained hospitalized Wednesday with serious injuries, according to the agency.
Both are expected to survive.
The shooting sparked a massive law enforcement response as the Teller County Sheriff’s Office sent out a reverse 911 call to lock down the Westwood Lakes and Woodland West neighborhoods and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation issued a Blue Alert for the vehicle and driver.
At 9:24 a.m., the family member of a resident in one of the locked-down subdivisions called 911 and said a man doing general contract work at their home matched the description of the suspected shooter, Sheriff Jason Mikesell said.
Deputies already searching the area arrived at the home within one minute, and the man opened fire on responding officers in what Mikesell described as an ambush. One deputy returned fire, hitting the man multiple times.
Law enforcement provided medical aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the hospital at noon. His name will be released after his relatives are notified.
“I will tell you this: If you shoot a Colorado state trooper, the world is coming for you. And thatap what happened today. And I’m grateful for that response today,” Packard said.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is examining why the man was pulled over for a traffic stop, 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said. The CBI is the lead investigative agency for the shooting that injured troopers and the police shooting that killed the suspect.
In a statement, Gov. Jared Polis said he was devastated to learn about the shooting.
“As both troopers receive medical care for their injuries, I and the entire state of Colorado are keeping both of them and their families in our thoughts and prayers and wishing them a speedy and full recovery,” he said.
