ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — A barricaded suspect opened fire on Adams County deputies on Thursday morning, striking three deputies, the sheriff's office said.
Adams County Sheriff's Office deputies, SWAT and Brighton Police Department officers responded to the 20400 block of E. 160th Avenue on Thursday around 8 a.m. to serve a search warrant in connection with an investigation by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force, or C-MATT.
"When they approached to start serving the search warrant, a female started shouting that she was not going to cooperate, saying that she had hostages in the house with her and that she was not going to come out," said Sgt. Adam Sherman, public information officer for the sheriff's office. "At that point, the SWAT team backed off."
Negotiations with the woman continued for several hours and a shelter-in-place order was issued for residences in the vicinity.
"Our team kept attempting negotiations," he said. "Eventually, the other residents of the home did come out safely and everybody was uninjured. It was just her remaining."
When SWAT members attempted to enter the home around 11:30 a.m., the barricaded suspect opened fire on them and they backed away, the sheriff's office said. ACSO said several deputies returned fire.
The sheriff's office initially said that only one deputy was struck. In an update, ACSO said three deputies were hit, including one deputy who was shot in the hand. All three deputies were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
"As our team was backing off, they heard what appeared to be a possible gunshot from inside," Sherman said.
The body of the barricaded suspect was found near where a fire had started on the property, according to the sheriff's office. Sherman said law enforcement believes she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Adams County Coroner's Office will release her identification and cause of death at a later time. Sherman
The 17th Judicial Critical Response Team has taken over the investigation. The deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, per standard protocol.
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