Man who committed suicide after standoff on Powers Blvd. identified
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of a man who killed himself following a lengthy standoff on Powers Blvd. Tuesday.
He was Carlos Alberto Mendoza, 36. The sheriff’s office says he also went by the name Manuel Martinez Mejia.
El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder said Mendoza shot himself after having been searched, handcuffed and placed in the back seat of a deputies’ squad car.
“It’s tough. These guys getting pretty invested sitting out here that long,” said Elder. “This is not the outcome we were after.”
The incident happened on Powers Boulevard and shut down the road between Fountain and Astrozon boulevards during rush hour.
During the four-hour standoff, the man held a gun to his head and threatened to kill himself in the back of a deputy’s patrol car.
Negotiators tried to talk the man into surrendering over the radio inside the vehicle.
“I want to give you a hug man. Just put that gun down at your feet and hands up on the window,” said the negotiator over the scanner. “We are going to treat you like the strong man that you are.”
But hours after the standoff ensued, the man shot himself.
“I am sad he made the choice that he made,” said Elder.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says the deputy who was driving the car is safe, and that the Colorado Springs Police Department is assisting with the incident.
“We miss dangerous objects. That’s just the nature of the game. Unfortunately this time it was a handgun,” said Elder.
The sheriff’s office says Mendoza was originally arrested on drug charges. Elder said he was able to get his hands in front of him with the handcuffs still on.
“We’re still trying to figure out exactly who did the searching and who handcuffed and placed the suspect in the back of the car for the arrest,” said Elder. “Law enforcement goes through handcuffing and search techniques all the time.”
Elder said there will be an internal review of the steps deputies took leading up to the standoff. He said there are no plans to put any deputies on leave at this time.
All lanes of Powers Boulevard have reopened.
