Police identify officers involved in Colorado Springs shootings
The Colorado Springs Police Department has released the names of four officers who were involved in the shooting death of a man who investigators say had taken three innocent lives. They were:
Patrol Training Officer R. Scott Hallas (hired in 2001)
Officer Charles (Chip) Surratt (hired in 2015)
Patrol Training Officer Edward Crofoot (hired in 2008)
Officer Matthew Anderson (hired in 2015)
All four officers are on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Victims and shooter identified
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that the shooter who was killed by police was Noah Jacob Harpham, 33.
The sheriffs office says none of the officers involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras and their vehicles did not have dash cameras.
The victims have been identified as Andrew Myers, 35, Jennifer Vasquez, 42 and Christina Rose Baccus-Gallela, 34. Their deaths have been ruled homicides.
Harpham’s family responds
Noah Harpham’s family responded to the shooting in a statement Monday. The statement was delivered to The Gazette by Rev. Benjamin Broadbendt of First Congregational Church at the family’s request. The newspaper reported that the statement was written by Harpham’s father and brother. The statement reads as follows:
“Our family is shocked and deeply saddened by the devastating events that took place in Colorado Springs on Saturday morning. Words cannot express our heartfelt sympathies that go out to the families and friends of the victims. We ask for privacy as our family tries to deal with this tragedy.”
Who was Noah Harpham?
Noah Harpham was born on June 10, 1982. His mother, Heather Kopp, currently lives in Denver and the family has ties to Bend, Oregon.
In 2013, Harpham’s mother wrote a book about him titled “Sober Mercies: How Love Caught Up with a Christian Drunk.”
Also in 2013, Kopp blogged about Harpham’s recovery from alcohol and drug abuse and said that her father suffered from drug addiction and mental illness.
Harpham took to the internet just two days before the shooting, creating a new blog and a video blog on YouTube.
In the one minute long video blog, Harpham discusses a sermon by a “Pastor Bill.” He says in the video that his dad has been a follower of Pastor Bill for the past ten years.
Harpham seems frustrated in the video that his dad did not respond to his challenge to him to watch the sermon by “Pastor Bill.”
36211494Harpham’s video blog and text blog were both posted on October 29, 2015. In the text blog, Harpham expands on what he talked about in the video blog.
The blog post is titled “Is my Dad in a Cult? Even Worse, Is It Satanic?!” and begins with his address — 230 N. Prospect St. in Colorado Springs. It also includes a link to a video of a sermon presented by a man named Pastor Bill Johnson.
The majority of the long, rambling blog post appears to serve as a critique of Johnson’s sermon, during which he accuses Johnson of being a Satanist who withholds information from his followers for the purpose of mind control.
Investigators paid particular attention to one statement in Harpham’s blog about violence.
“Violent violation of what IS, is the ultimate sign of spiritual enlightenment and the most laudable goal of spiritual pursuit,” said Harpham in his blog.
Retired FBI profiler Pete Klismet said there are signs in the written blog that Harpham suffered from a mental illness likeschizophrenia. Klismet said he would have been concerned that Harpham had intentions of hurting Pastor Bill, though Klismet said there was no indication he would go on a shooting rampage.
Harpham tweeted as @ block_n_bard according to heavy.com. Both the title bar on Harpham’s blog and on his purported Twitter account featured the phrase “Decentralization: Let it happen.”
Harpham’s neighbor described him as a nice man who was “young” and energetic” and enjoyed walking his dogs and doing yard work.
“We chatted on Wednesday night after we took out the trash and standing on the street, he was just so pleasant. Seemed very relaxed and a very likable guy. I’m sad for his family,” said Teryl Lundquist.
The first calls for help
Calm turned to chaos in the 200 block of Prospect St. at around 8:45 a.m. Saturday. That’s when shots fired calls began pouring into 911.
Witnesses said a man tried to set a house on fire. Then the shooting started. “I heard some gunshots. Looked out my kitchen window and saw a man firing a rifle at a guy on a bike,” Matthew Abshire said.
“He (the shooter) looked right at me and I was like OK, I started walking away and I was like, ‘oh please don’t shoot me.'” Naomi Bettis said. Bettis told KRDO NewsChannel 13 she believes she would be dead if that bicyclist hadn’t shown up when he did. “The kid was coming around the corner on a bike and he (the shooter) lifted up his rifle and shot him, I heard three shots,” Bettis said.
Confusion and pleas for mercy
Bettis told the Colorado Springs Gazette that the bicyclist begged for his life before he was shot.
Minutes later and blocks away- there was more gunfire.
Matthew Abshire told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that after seeing the bicyclist get shot, he decided to follow Harpham. Abshire says Harpham started shooting again near the intersection of E. Platte Ave. and El Paso St.
Abshire said two shots were fired that time. One woman was shot in the chest. “She was bleeding out, I felt her pulse, didn’t feel anything, took my shirt off, gave her pressure,” he said. Abshire said there was another victim at that location, a woman who was shot in the face.
The final confrontation
Three innocent lives had been lost by the time Harpham reached the busy intersection of Platte Ave. and Wahsatch Ave. on the eastern edge of downtown. It was there that he came face-to-face with Colorado Springs Police officers.
Ross Trottier was caught in the cross fire. He said his quick decision to lie down on the ground likely saved his life. “The cop pulled up and said ‘drop your gun’ and as soon as I heard that I got on my stomach in the median and they started shooting at each other and the bullets went over me,” Trottier said.
The only person shot during the shootout in front of the Wendy’s restaurant on Wahsatch Ave. was the Harpham. He was killed.
What’s next?
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the officer involved shooting portion of Saturday’s incident. Once the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has completed its investigation, the case will be handed over to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for review.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers released a statement Monday morning, saying in part, “On behalf of all the citizens of Colorado Springs, I want to convey our heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of the victims of this crime. I am gratified that neighbors and neighborhood organizations in the area of the crime have rallied to honor the victims and support their families and friends.”
The Colorado Springs Police Department is investigating the three homicides that preceded the shootout.
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