62-year-old man arrested after allegedly punching officer during investigation into repeated shots fired at church
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A 62-year-old man was arrested Saturday night after allegedly striking a Colorado Springs police sergeant while officers investigated reports of gunfire at a church.
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), officers responded around 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 1 to a church in the 4000 block of Lee Vance Drive after receiving reports of shots fired into the building.
KRDO13 obtained an arrest affidavit that confirmed the church as Rocky Family Church.
Investigators say the reporting party told officers a black BMW X5 drove past the church and someone inside the vehicle fired multiple rounds toward the building. The reporting party also told police the same vehicle had allegedly targeted the church on an almost weekly basis.
According to court records, the church provided several videos that showed the black car driving past the church; three of the videos showed officers were able to hear gunshots.
CSPD says investigators identified the vehicle's license plate from video surveillance and learned it had previously been registered to an address in the 7000 block of Sand Crest View.
According to CSPD, officers responded to that address and located the vehicle believed to be involved in the incident.
Police said they attempted to detain 62-year-old Daniel Lawrence Edwards while the investigation continued. Edwards allegedly refused to comply with lawful orders and hit a CSPD sergeant in the face.
Edwards was booked on the following charges, according to CSPD:
- Assault on a peace officer
- Resisting arrest
- Obstructing a peace officer
- Illegal discharge of a firearm
- Criminal mischief
- Reckless endangerment
A search warrant of Edwards' residence found the following, according to court records:
- Winchester .22 caliber pump action rifle, bearing serial number
- Bolt action rifle, bearing serial number
- .357 Magnum revolver, bearing serial number
- 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, bearing serial number
- Various types of ammunition, including .22 caliber, .38 Special, .357 and 9 mm
- One .22 caliber spent shell casing
Additional charges related to the reported shooting into the church are still under investigation and could be filed, says CSPD.
Rocky Family Church released the following statement to KRDO13:
We are saddened that someone chose to fire shots at and vandalize our church property, and we are grateful for the quick response and professionalism of our law enforcement partners.
This incident occurred during non-service hours when no one was present, and no one was injured. The individual responsible has been apprehended and detained by law enforcement. The safety of everyone who comes to Rock Family Church remains our highest priority.
We have established safety measures in place for every weekend service, including law enforcement officers on campus and trained safety teams. We will continue working closely with local authorities and maintaining these safety measures to provide a safe environment for our church family and guests.
We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they continue their investigation.
While incidents like this are deeply unfortunate, they will not distract us from our mission of sharing the life-giving hope and love of Jesus Christ with our city and community. We remain committed to serving our neighbors with faith, hope, and love.
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