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5 Deputies Shot, One Fatally, by Colorado Gunman, Officials Say 5 Deputies Shot, One Fatally, by Colorado Gunman, Officials Say
(about 4 hours later)
Five deputies were shot, one fatally, after they responded to a report of a domestic disturbance on Sunday morning in a suburb of Denver, officials said. It began as a predawn call for the police to a disturbance at an apartment complex in a Denver suburb on Sunday. It ended, officials said, in a fusillade of more than 100 rounds fired by a barricaded gunman who shot five law enforcement officers, killing one of them. The gunman was killed by officers.
The gunman was shot by deputies and was “believed to be deceased,” the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. Two civilians were also shot by the suspect, the Sheriff’s Office said. Killed in the attack was Zackari Parrish, a 29-year-old deputy who had worked for the Douglas County sheriff’s office for seven months, Sheriff Tony Spurlock said at an afternoon news conference. He described Deputy Parrish as a “smiley kid” who was eager to serve. He is survived by a wife and two young children.
The shooting occurred in Highlands Ranch, Colo., about 15 miles south of Denver. Describing his meeting with the deputy’s widow, the sheriff said, “When I held her hand and looked in her eyes, I could see her life was over.”
Three of the wounded were taken to Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colo., with injuries that were not critical, Linda Watson, a hospital spokeswoman, said in a phone interview. She declined to say if the wounded were civilians or members of law enforcement. Two civilians, who the sheriff said were apparently in a neighboring apartment, were also shot. Their injuries were not life-threatening.
Another four were taken to Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton, Colo., Alyssa Parker, a hospital spokeswoman, said in a phone interview. She could not say how serious the injuries were. A motorcade of law enforcement vehicles escorted a hearse carrying the slain deputy from the Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton, Colo.
Family members of one of the wounded deputies, Jeff Pelle, rushed from their homes in Northern Colorado to the hospital after getting word that he had been shot. Hours after the attack, numerous questions remained, including the public identification of the gunman, his motive, the type of weapon he used, what exactly happened leading up to the attack and where the officers were positioned in relation to the suspect.
The gunfire shattered a quiet New Year’s Eve morning at the Copper Canyon Apartments, which describes itself on its website as having some of the “friendliest apartments” in Highlands Ranch, Colo., which is about 15 miles south of Denver.
The police were first called to the apartment where the shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday regarding a noise complaint, but officers found nothing amiss.
About four hours later, the police were called for what was described as a “domestic disturbance,” the sheriff said. Officers quickly determined that it was not a domestic situation but that the suspect was making a “ton of noise.”
As outlined by the sheriff, what happened next was murky. The officers were talking to the suspect for about 30 minutes, and at some point the gunman barricaded himself in a bedroom. The gunman then fired over 100 rounds, the sheriff said.
It was unclear if he fired through walls and a door and how the civilians were struck.
Deputy Parrish, three other deputies from the sheriff’s office and an officer from the Castle Rock Police Department were shot within seconds of one another, the sheriff said.
Deputy Parrish was shot multiple times. The other officers, who were hit in areas uncovered by their protective vests, were in stable condition, the sheriff said.
As the injured officers extricated themselves, the gunman continue to fire “for some time” until he was shot and killed by the officers, Sheriff Spurlock said. He added that the gunman was known to the authorities, but he would not elaborate.
Still, Sheriff Spurlock described what happened as “almost an ambush-type of attack” and said the gunman fired “very, very quickly” with a rifle, though it was unclear what type.
“He knew we were there, and he knew we were coming,” the sheriff said.
He predicted a prolonged investigation that would draw on footage from the body cameras worn by the officers.
Family members of one of the wounded deputies, Jeff Pelle, rushed from their homes in Northern Colorado to the hospital after getting word he had been shot.
Deputy Pelle was in visible pain when his family saw him in the intensive care unit after he emerged from surgery, his sister, Shanna Jessen, said in a phone interview. She said he seemed less concerned with his condition than with how his two young nephews had taken the news that their uncle had been shot.Deputy Pelle was in visible pain when his family saw him in the intensive care unit after he emerged from surgery, his sister, Shanna Jessen, said in a phone interview. She said he seemed less concerned with his condition than with how his two young nephews had taken the news that their uncle had been shot.
Ms. Jessen described her younger brother as a broad-shouldered former football player who was “built like Superman” with a sensitive “marshmallow heart.”Ms. Jessen described her younger brother as a broad-shouldered former football player who was “built like Superman” with a sensitive “marshmallow heart.”
Ms. Jessen said that he had been shot under the armpit and that the bullet had traveled down his torso to his hip. She said he was doing “remarkably well” after surgery. Ms. Jessen said that he had been shot under the armpit and the bullet had traveled down his torso to his hip. She said he was doing “remarkably well” after surgery.
“He’s talking,” she said. “He’s in a lot of pain.”
He comes from a law enforcement family. Deputy Pelle’s father, Joe, is the longtime sheriff of Boulder County, Colo. Ms. Jessen said her brother had been in law enforcement for about seven years, and had been looking forward to celebrating his fifth wedding anniversary on Tuesday.He comes from a law enforcement family. Deputy Pelle’s father, Joe, is the longtime sheriff of Boulder County, Colo. Ms. Jessen said her brother had been in law enforcement for about seven years, and had been looking forward to celebrating his fifth wedding anniversary on Tuesday.
In a statement on Twitter, Sheriff Pelle and his wife, Stephanie, said, “Our hearts ache for all those involved, and we are not only praying for Jeff’s recovery, but for the recovery of everyone involved, and for the family of the fallen deputy.” A resident of the apartment complex, Steven Silknitter, rushed home from his weekend job as a truck driver when he heard about the shooting. He said he was trying to make his way past a police cordon when he heard what sounded like a fierce exchange of gunfire.
The shooting occurred after deputies responded to a call of a domestic disturbance around 5:15 a.m. at the Copper Canyon Apartments on County Line Road in Highlands Ranch, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook. “Fifteen to 20 gunshots,” he said. “Return fire and then more fire.”
In updating its Facebook page with the news that a deputy had died, the Sheriff’s Office changed its profile image to a badge with a black band across it. Mr. Silknitter, 50, described the apartment complex as a mix of families, couples and older residents and said neither he nor his fiancée, Vira Cover, had ever felt unsafe there or knew of any reports of violence.
A motorcade of law enforcement vehicles escorted a hearse from the Littleton hospital. “Highlands Ranch is one of the safest places in the Denver area,” said Ms. Cover, 50, who was on the sofa when she heard gunshots erupt. “I cannot believe this happened in our backyard.”
President Trump offered his condolences on Twitter, adding, “We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all!” “Where do we go from here?” Mr. Silknitter added. “Where do you go without having to worry about being shot?”
The Sheriff’s Office said an emergency shelter for people displaced from their homes was opening at the East Ridge Recreation Center, which features meeting rooms and two gymnasiums, among other amenities.
A spokeswoman for the center, Jamie Noebel, said in a telephone interview that the center had received a “handful” of residents and was prepared to house people overnight if necessary.
“We just want to be that safe place,” she said.
The Denver office of the F.B.I. said on Twitter that it was monitoring the situation.
The Copper Canyon Apartments website describes its homes as some of the “friendliest apartments in Highlands Ranch,” minutes away from shopping, dining and entertainment in Denver.