Police explain negotiating tactics

involved shooting in canon city has some people shaken up tonight. this is the third officer- involved shooting in canon.. since december. this one happened after a standoff that began late last night at a campground off of highway 50 in the city’s east side. police say a man killed his wife before being killed by officers. police say after a three- hour standoff, the man came out and started shooting at officers. investigators think it was a case of suicide by cop… he wanted to die because of his health problems. tonight, we’re digging deeper into police policy, and how they try to prevent standoffs from turning deadly. krdo newschannel 13’s greg miller is live in canon city – greg, police say negotiators tried their best. james and rana, officers tried to convince a man who held himself up in an r-v just down the highway from here not to shoot at them. but hours of talking… proved not to be enough. people who knew the couple say they were stunned. Sot: He was very quiet, he loved to joke. Lots of people knew hi in town… and police say this is certainly not the outcome they wanted. The officers had no choice. police chief paul schultz defended his negotiators – who tried to calm the man down. Sot: He spoke to one of our negotiators for about 10 minutes, then hung up. We do everything we can to prevent this. he says the man kept makg threats to his life…ending his own. when they first arrived, his wife had a gunshot wound to the head…and their dog had been shot too. but hours of talking … didn’t difuse the situation. instead, the man opened the door. Sot: Fired powder form of pepper spray, door spread, he came at us with a gun in each hand – a c-45 caliber. the man opened fire… one bullet hit a police car, and several hit an armed vehicle. so they returned fire … killing the gunman. Sot: Very serious, deadly serious. The officers had absolutely no chocie but to defend themselves at that point. an exchange that’s likely on the minds of neighbors… reeling from what happened. Sot: Even though you knew him and saw him every three weeks… you just never know. they’re still not releasing his name or his wife’s name. the police officer who fired his gun is on paid administrative leave. live in canon city, gm nc 13. serious. The officers had absolutely no chocie but to defend themselves at that point. an exchange that’s likely on the minds of neighbors… reeling from what happened. Sot: Even though you knew him and saw him every three weeks… you just never know. they’re still not releasing his name or his wife’s name. the police officer who fired his gun is on paid administrative leave. live in canon city, gm nc 13. you may remember