Suspect dead after two Colorado State Troopers injured during traffic stop; one released from hospital
TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado State Patrol (CSP) says one of the troopers who was injured in a shooting today has been released from the hospital.
Officials say the trooper had suffered minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital, expected to make a full recovery.
Law enforcement confirms that the suspect involved in this morning's shooting of two state troopers has died.
CSP confirms that a trooper conducted a traffic stop around 7:15 a.m. on Highway 24 west of Woodland Park when the driver of the vehicle shot at the trooper.
CSP says a second trooper in the area arrived within minutes and entered the subdivision the suspect was believed to have driven into. The suspect shot at the second trooper while driving in the opposite direction, hitting the second trooper while he was in his car, according to CSP.
One trooper suffered serious injuries, and the other suffered minor injuries, according to law enforcement. During a press conference, law enforcement said both troopers are expected to recover. CSP says one trooper is a 15-year veteran, and the other is a 10-year veteran. Teller County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) says the troopers self-transported to the hospital.
A shelter-in-place was issued for Westwood Lakes and Subdivision and Westland West quickly after the officers were shot.
The suspect was found after a homeowner in a locked-down neighborhood noted to law enforcement that a contracted worker near her house had a matching vehicle. Law enforcement says that as they approached that home, the suspect opened fire, and one deputy returned fire, hitting the suspect multiple times.
Officials confirmed that the suspect received immediate medical aid and was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
During the search, law enforcement described the suspect as having brownish-tinted hair and driving a blue Subaru Impreza hatchback with license plates not visible through tinted covers.
TCSO released the following photos during the search of the vehicle believed to have been driven by the suspect.
As law enforcement searched for the suspect, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation issued a blue alert, which appeared on most phones as a Public Safety Alert.
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