WESTMINSTER, Colo. — A trooper with Colorado State Patrol (CSP), who was completing reports in a protected median of a highway in Westminster, "looked at the face of evil" Saturday when a driver opened fire at him, striking his arm, a CSP colonel said. But "we came out on top today," he added.
CSP Col. Matthew Packard identified the injured trooper as Tye Simcox, a 16-year veteran of CSP. He has been released from the hospital.
The incident started around 1:18 p.m., when Trooper Simcox was in his marked patrol vehicle in the center median of Highway 36 eastbound, west of Federal Boulevard. He was parked in between two concrete barriers working on reporting paperwork, Packard said.
A driver in a black Chevrolet pickup truck slowed as he went by the trooper, and shot several rounds from a semi automatic handgun at the patrol car, Packard said, and one round hit Trooper Simcox in his arm. The suspect driver then pulled over on the left shoulder, left his car and began to fire at the windshield of the CSP patrol vehicle, hitting the car several times, Packard said.
"Our trooper exited his patrol car and immediately began to return fire," Packard said. "He deployed his rifle that was issued to him, and was able to strike, and ultimately killed the suspect that was attacking him."
Trooper Simcox applied a tourniquet to his arm until another trooper — one Simcox had trained at CSP — arrived at the scene. He was then transported to Denver Health Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening. He has since been released to go home.
Packard said authorities do not yet know why the suspect targeted the trooper. The suspect has not yet been identified.
Watch the full press conference in the video below.
"I will tell you very directly that our member was targeted today by a man that intended to kill him, and that is shocking and unacceptable, but our Colorado State trooper responded appropriately and swiftly and courageously, and he won today," Packard said. "And by winning, not only did he save his own life, but he saved the rest of this community from someone that was clearly intending to do evil. And I want it to be known that we came out on top today. And that's really, really important, because that's what good does. Good and courageous people win over evil cowardice, and that's what happened today on Highway 36."
He said Trooper Simcox acted heroically.
"He looked at the face of evil and responded appropriately and won," Packard said.
All lanes of US 36 in Westminster along a 2.5-mile stretch between Lowell Boulevard and Federal Boulevard remained closed for the investigation for several hours. The westbound lanes reopened at 8:15 p.m. Saturday, though eastbound lanes were still closed. Crime scene investigators responded to the scene on US 36 4:30 p.m.
"It was seconds, but it felt like minutes," Rebecca Quintana, a witness, told Denver7 about the shooting. "It was like slow motion, but then it felt like it happened so fast."
On Saturday afternoon, Brian Mason, district attorney for Colorado’s 17th Judicial District, went to the scene, which he called "sobering, upsetting and deeply frightening" because "this trooper had absolutely no warning whatsoever."
"I've been to many scenes of officer-involved shootings in my career," he said. "I have never seen anything like this ever."
He asked the public for any information they may have, ranging from dash camera footage to damage possibly from the shooting, as there were many shell casings on the ground at the crime scene.
"A gunfight on US 36, which was started spontaneously by the suspect, who again ambushed a state trooper, cannot ever be considered normal," DA Mason said.
This is a developing story. Stay with Denver7 for updates.
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