Former Colorado Springs policeman relates past city active shooter incidents to Boulder tragedy
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Jake Skifstad knows the experience of a law enforcement officer responding to a gunman taking innocent lives, as was the case Monday at a Boulder grocery store.
"Absolutely said a prayer for all those first responders up there, sent out a bunch of text messages for folks to be praying, and then I turned on the news and started to learn more about what was happening," he said.
Skifstad, a retired Colorado Springs police officer, was at the scene of the November 2015 Planned Parenthood shooting, in which three people (including a University of Colorado-Colorado Springs police officer) died and nine others (including five law enforcement officers) were injured.
"One of the things that I'll never forget in the Planned Parenthood shooting was the sound of the gunfire -- how loud it was, how fast it was and how terrifying it was," he said.
Skifstad also was at New Life Church eight years earlier when an armed suspect killed two people and injured three others after Sunday worship services -- only hours after killing two and wounding two more at a youth mission in Arvada.
It was after that tragedy when Skifstad founded Shield 616, a nonprofit organization dedicated to seeking donations to provide body armor to law enforcement officers and other first responders.
The armor is rated for protection against rifles and other long guns that have been commonly used in active shooting situations.
"We're expected as police officers to protect our community from whatever threat that comes our way -- and that includes rifle fire," Skifstad said. "In 2015 we weren't protected, but we're much better-protected now."
The former officer said that Shield 616 presented the Boulder County Sheriff's Office with body armor in 2019.
"Shield 616 is in 30 states now," he said. "In the Colorado Springs area, with a few exceptions that we're working on, every first responder has body armor. We thank the public for stepping up for our officers' safety."
