A man accused of shooting two Colorado State Patrol troopers and firing on a sheriff’s deputy following an attempted traffic stop west of Woodland Park was fatally shot, state officials said.
A Colorado State Patrol trooper tried to pull over a blue Subaru Impreza at around 7:15 a.m. on U.S. 24, near mile marker 286, the state patrol said Tuesday.
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. As he was fleeing the scene, the man then shot a second trooper who was responding to the initial shooting.
Both troopers were able to drive themselves to a nearby hospital and are expected to survive, Packard said. One is still being treated at the hospital. He declined to release their names.
The Teller County Sheriff’s Office sent out a reverse 911 call to lock down two nearby subdivisions, and at 9:24 a.m. a resident called 911 and reported a man doing general contract work at their home matched the description of the suspected shooter, Sheriff Jason Mikesell said.
Deputies were on scene within one minute, and the man opened fire on responding officers, Mikesell said. 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 next of kin is 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 examaning why the man was pulled over for a traffic stop, Fourth Judicial District Attorney Matthew Allen said.
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.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
