DA’s report: actions of officers who stopped Halloween shooting were ‘heroic’
The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has released its report on a Halloween 2015 shooting that left three people dead in Colorado Springs.
Noah Harpham, 33, died in a shootout with police after shooting and killing three people.
In its findings, the report says that the officers who killed Harpham were not only justified in shooting him, but were “heroic” for stopping the rampage.
The report also includes a timeline of detailing what happened before, during an after the shooting:
230 North Prospect Avenue, victim Andrew Myers
Noah Harpham, 33, lived alone at 230 North Prospect. On October 31, 2015, around 7:30 a.m., Noah Harpham called and left a voice message for his ex-girlfriend and former roommate, Elizabeth Tucker, wanting to spend time with her. She did not return his call. Harpham’s mother, Heather Kopp, had warned Tucker the previous night to stay away from Harpham. Both Heather Kopp and David Kopp had made plans to attempt to have Harpham hospitalized. Tucker, who lived directly across the suspect, informed the police of the call from Harpham after the shootings. Later that morning, around 8:10 a.m., a neighbor, Carrie Payne, witnessed Harpham outside his residence pacing back and forth. At 8:30 a.m., Harpham was seen by a different neighbor, Naomi Bettis, carrying a long gun and what appeared to be gas cans. Harpham was seen going in and out of the business below his residence through a broken front glass door. Bettis then phoned 911 and informed CSPD dispatch of the situation. Because Harpham did not appear threatening to any person at the time, the 911 2 operator terminated the phone call with Bettis. The call taker informed Bettis that officers would be dispatched as soon as possible. Around 8:45 a.m., Carrie Payne was leaving out her front door and witnessed a confrontation between Harpham and an unknown bicyclist. The bicyclist saw Harpham with the long gun and told him he could not have that type of weapon on the street. Harpham raised his gun and started shooting at the bicyclist. The suspect fired the rifle a total of five times. While attempting to flee, the bicyclist was struck by rounds from the suspect’s gun. He died at the scene. Both Payne and Bettis (again) called 911 after witnessing the shooting. The victim on the bicycle was later identified as Andrew Alan Myers, a three tour Iraq War veteran. At autopsy, Mr. Myers was declared to have been a victim of a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
543 East Platte Avenue, victims Jennifer Vasquez and Christina Galella-Baccus
Harpham then started walking to the north travelling to Platte Avenue where he turned to the west. A third neighbor, Mathew Abshire, who lived at 751 East Platte Avenue, saw what had happened to Mr. Myers and after Harpham passed his residence and turned to the west, Abshire began to follow him at a distance. Numerous witnesses saw Harpham travelling west on Platte Avenue carrying both the long gun and a silver handgun. These witnesses, including Abshire, provided dispatchers with physical descriptions of the suspect which in turn were aired to CSPD units responding to the shooting. Harpham travelled on the south side of Platte Avenue crossing over North Franklin and North El Paso Streets. Harpham was contacted by a resident from this area and told to put his gun down. Harpham ignored the request. Harpham continued on Platte and encountered the residents at 543 East Platte Avenue. Harpham shot his rifle six times thus killing two women who were out on the porch enjoying the morning. The women were later identified as Jennifer Vasquez and Christina Galella-Baccus. Galella-Baccus was pronounced dead on scene while Jennifer Vasquez was transported to Memorial Hospital where she was later pronounced dead. At autopsy, both Galella-Baccus and Vasquez were declared to have been the victims of homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.
North Wahsatch and East Platte Avenues, Noah Harpham is killed by CSPD
Harpham continued west on Platte to the intersection of Platte and Wahsatch where he was confronted by CSPD Officer Gary Darress. Officer Darress was one of the first officers to respond to the initial call that stemmed from the shooting at 230 North Prospect. Darress was driving his CSPD cruiser east on Platte when he saw someone who matched the description of the suspect that was aired by dispatch. Darress was further flagged down by a citizen and directed back to the west where the suspect was nearing the intersection of North Wahsatch and Platte Avenues. Officer Darress turned around heading west on Platte Avenue and proceeded to the intersection, stopped his police cruiser and ordered the suspect to drop his gun. Sergeant Patrick David, also responding to call, was right behind Officer Darress. Officer Darress and Sergeant David were driving standard CSPD police cars and were in standard CSPD Blue Uniforms. Officer Darress ordered the suspect to “Drop the gun.” The 3 suspect turned and raised the AR-15 and fired at Darress and David. Both Officers took cover. Officer Darress’ CSPD cruiser was struck in the windshield, the round exiting the rear window. Officer Darress and Sergeant David did not return fire after they both saw an unarmed civilian walking his dog in the line of fire. Additionally, they were concerned about the backdrop of their handgun rounds hitting the Wendy’s Restaurant at 222 North Wahsatch. The next set of CSPD Officers to engage Harpham were two groups of training officers with their trainees. Officer Randall Scott Hallas was paired with Officer Charles Surratt and Officer Edward Crofoot was paired with Officer Matthew Anderson. Officers Surratt and Anderson had recently graduated from the CSPD Training Academy. All four officers were wearing standard issue CSPD uniforms and were driving CSPD marked patrol cars. Officers Anderson and Crofoot approached the intersection canting their car in a southwesterly direction. Both Officers got out of their car and fired their standard issue Smith and Wesson M & P 9 mm handguns at Harpham. Like Officer Darress and Sergeant David, they made sure their backdrop of fired rounds did not threaten innocent civilians. Officer Anderson discharged his handgun a total of five times while Officer Crofoot discharged his handgun three times. Officers Hallas and Surratt approached the intersection from the west, stopping short of the intersection. Officer Surratt exited the car and fired his Smith and Wesson M & P 9 mm handgun two times at the suspect. Officer Hallas got out of his car and approached Harpham, who was firing at Officer Darress and Sergeant David. Harpham was shooting and retreating towards the Wendy’s Restaurant. Officer Hallas made his way into the north end of the Wendy’s parking lot and shot his Smith and Wesson M & P 9 mm handgun three times at Harpham. Harpham was struck by one round near the northeast corner of the sidewalk closest to the Wendy’s restaurant where he fell and was immediately handcuffed by CSPD Officers. Officers quickly located the suspect’s AR-15 as well as a 9 millimeter semi-auto handgun. Numerous loose bullets were inside of the coat Harpham was wearing. The bullets were of the three calibers of the guns Harpham was carrying. Investigators found seven spent shell casings that were fired by Harpham at CSPD Officers.1 A silver 357 handgun was also found in the intersection of Platte and Wahsatch. The handgun matched descriptions from previous witnesses who saw Harpham carrying a silver handgun. Members of the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD), Station One, and American Medical Response (AMR) were dispatched to the first shooting at 230 North Prospect. These units were staging at the intersection of East Platte and North Wahsatch when the Harpham started shooting at the Police. Officers from CSPD and CSFD checked the unarmed civilian who was in the crossfire near the median intersection of Wahsatch and Platte Avenue. The civilian was shaken but uninjured. AMR, CSFD Firefighters from Engine One and CSPD Officers rendered aid to Harpham, then transported him to Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. At autopsy, Noah Harpham was declared to have died due to a gunshot wound to his upper torso. The coroner further reported that he had marijuana metabolites in his urine at the time of his death.
During the investigation, Detectives were able to obtain video from a business halfway between the second and third scenes. The address is 423 East Platte and the camera faced to the north. At the beginning of the video footage, the distinct sound of gunfire can be heard from the suspect’s rifle at the second shooting scene, 543 E. Platte. Shortly after the gunfire the video shows Harpham walking west on Platte and crossing onto the sidewalk on the west side of North Corona. Video footage shows Harpham wearing a green jacket and carrying his long gun in his left hand. Harpham continued west, raising up his long gun as a CSPD cruiser goes by headed east. Thirty seconds after Harpham walked out of camera range, the audio picked up faint voices. Gunfire from the rifle is then heard. The audio clearly demonstrates Harpham shoots at the Officers first. Both Officers and witnesses confirmed this. The audio also depicts Officers shooting their handguns. The entire shooting episode occurred in less than 10 seconds. Further, from a video captured from a camera at the Taco Bell, 405 East Platte Avenue, Harpham passed on the North side of the business and a few seconds later a camera on the South side of Taco Bell captures a person later identified as Ross Trottier leaving his business while walking his dog. Shortly after leaving the field of vision Trottier is crossing Wahsatch with his dog. Trottier took cover as Harpham fired his gun the police. Trottier’s dog was later found unharmed and returned to Trottier.
Aftermath
CSPD, CSFD and AMR continued to respond to the other shooting scenes. Truck One from CSFD arrived at 230 North Prospect and realized the ground floor of the structure containing Harpham’s residence was on fire. This is the building the neighbor saw Harpham enter numerous times prior to the first homicide of Andrew Myers. CSFD Station One firefighters quickly extinguished what was later determined to be an incendiary fire. Stacked wood, combustible fluids and pour patterns appeared once the fires were extinguished. Four separate barbecue type propane tanks were found near the fires. Multiple unfired rounds of the same caliber guns carried by Harpham were also strewn about the place. No one was inside the building. CSFD was able to extinguish the fires with little damage to the structure. CSPD and EPSO Major Crime Detectives then began the painstaking process of investigating each and every scene from this tragic day. CSPD Detectives investigated the scenes at 230 North Prospect Street and 543 East Platte Avenue. EPSO Detectives investigated the shooting at East Platte and North Wahsatch Avenues. It is their collective work that this report covers in summary fashion. This investigation revealed other noteworthy details. Harpham’s mother and step father, Heather and David Kopp, had been in regular contact with Harpham. They were former residents of Colorado Springs for some time but had moved to the East Coast in December of 2014. In the days leading up to this event his family grew alarmed about Harpham’s situation. According to Elizabeth Tucker, Harpham had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Harpham’s step father told investigators that Harpham had become ‘more manic’ as of late. Harpham’s mother also informed his ex-girlfriend this was happening, stating “He (Harpham) has escalated to a new level.” Heather Kopp warned Elizabeth Tucker to “Do everything you can to avoid contact with him (Harpham).” Heather Kopp further had contact with Harpham’s psychiatrist. 5 Due to these concerns, his stepfather, David Kopp and his brother, Nathan Harpham, boarded separate planes on October 31, 2015, to come to Colorado Springs. They had made plans to try and have Harpham hospitalized. In a later statement from Heather Kopp, she informed law enforcement, “We wanted to get Noah to a medical treatment facility and considered if the police could assist. But we were told by both Dr. Everett and the Cedar Springs Mental Health Center that unless Noah was a threat to himself or others (which he wasn’t) the police wouldn’t be able to assist us” She further stated, he was having “…manic delusions of grandeur and (was) in need of medical help. Prior to coming out to get him hospitalized, his stepfather informed Harpham he was coming to Colorado Springs. David Kopp reported that Harpham told him he (Harpham) was euphoric. The stepfather said Harpham told him ‘it would be great and it would happen here’, and ‘it would be awesome’ and ‘it would blow your mind.’ Harpham’s stepfather arrived in Colorado Springs in the evening of October 31, 2015, several hours after the shootings. Harpham’s mother and stepfather were aware that Harpham had several guns, including the long gun. Upon piecing together a timeline of October 31, 2015, the approximate time the first victim, Andrew Myers, was killed was around 8:45 a.m., the second victims, Jennifer Vasquez and Christina Galella–Baccus were killed was around 8:57 a.m., and the final confrontation with CSPD occurred over 7-8 seconds at 9:00 a.m. All three of the victims were fatally shot by Harpham with the AR-15. Over the course of the three scenes, Harpham fired 18 rounds from the AR-15. While both handguns were fully loaded, neither hand gun was fired. According to paperwork found in Harpham’s apartment, the three guns the suspect was carrying were legally purchased by Harpham and a receipt indicated the 357 Ruger revolver was purchased from Paradise Sales, 605 West Colorado Avenue. Gun cases for the guns were found inside of Harpham’s residence. The breakdown of the purchases are as follows;
9 mm Springfield handgun was purchased in July of 2009;
357 Ruger was purchased in October of 2009;
AR-15 DPMS Rifle was purchased in December of 2009.
