Wyoming/Colorado Chase Ends With Homicide Suspect Killing Himself
A homicide suspect took his own life after leading Wyoming and Colorado authorities on a chase from Cheyenne to Wellington early Saturday morning, officials say.
Laramie County Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Warner says it all started at 1:41 a.m. when a deputy tried to stop the suspect, who was wanted for a recent homicide and domestic violence case in South Dakota, in the area of Interstate 25 and Horse Creek Road and he fled south on I-25 towards Colorado.
Larimer County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kate Kimble says they were notified of the situation around 2 a.m., and deputies and troopers prepared to deploy tire spikes near the Buckeye exit, but the suspect shot at them and continued traveling south at high speeds.
Kimble says deputies ultimately performed a precision immobilization technique (PIT) to stop the suspect's pickup just south of the Highway 1/Wellington exit.
"The man stayed inside the truck, and before they could contact him, he shot himself," she said in a news release. "The man was pronounced deceased at the scene."
Kimble says a handgun was recovered from the suspect’s pickup.
"Law enforcement did not fire any weapons during this incident, and no other injuries have been reported," she said.
Kimble says southbound I-25 was closed at the Wellington exit for approximately five hours while investigators processed the scene.
An Extremely Dangerous Situation
"This was an extremely dangerous situation involving an armed suspect with a disturbing disregard for public safety," said Lt. Troy Badberg with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
"Dispatchers, investigators, and peace officers across multiple states worked together quickly and did everything they could to prevent harm to innocent people," Badberg added.
Kimble says the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident in cooperation with local agencies and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
She says the Larimer County Coroner’s Office will release the man’s identity at a later time.
Anybody with information about the incident who hasn’t already spoken with law enforcement can call Investigator Tyler Thomas with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office at 970-498-5167.
People with information or inquiries about the South Dakota case can call Communications Director Tony Mangan with the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office at 605-773-6878.