No charges for Teller County deputy who shot an armed suspect in May
TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said it will not press any charges against a Teller County deputy who shot an armed suspect in May.
On May 22, around 9:00 p.m., Teller County Sheriff’s deputy Sergeant William Markus was searching for a suspect in a reported case of felony menacing that happened the day before.
Sgt. Markus spotted a man matching the menacing suspect’s description walking on Park County Road #94 near the Park County Line.
When Sgt. Markus started talking with the suspect, the man pulled a handgun from his waistband, according to the district attorney’s office. Sgt. Markus ordered him to put the gun down and offered to help the man.
The suspect, identified as Ronald John Rowland, continued walking while waiving his gun around.
The district attorney’s office said Sgt. Markus saw Rowland chamber a round and put the gun to his head.
Corporal Sean Boe went to assist Sgt. Markus and got into the passenger side of Sgt. Markus’s truck. Cpl. Boe had a Smith & Wesson, M&P AR-15 and pointed his rifle at Rowland.
The deputies continued talking to Rowland in an effort to convince him to drop his gun, but he didn’t listen.
Rowland pointed his gun at the officers and charged the vehicle, according to the district attorney’s office.
Corporal Boe shot one round, hitting Rowland in the midsection. Other deputies who had arrived tended to Rowland. He was airlifted to a local hospital, and he has recovered from his injury.
Rowland has been charged with two counts of 1st Degree Assault-Threatening a Peace Officer with a Weapon, among other charges. His arraignment is set for August 31, 2020, in Teller County.
After reviewing the case, the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced that Teller County Sheriff Corporal Boe acted reasonably when he shot Rowland. Colorado law says a peace officer is justified in using deadly force if he or she reasonably believes a person is likely to endanger human life or to inflict serious bodily injury.
Teller County Sheriff’s Office deputies are not equipped with body cameras, and the vehicles are not outfitted with dash cams, so there is no video footage of this shooting, according to the district attorney’s office.
