Colorado police officer injured in 'targeted' shooting while sitting in parked patrol car

From Jessica Seemann

source The Denver Post

A gunman traveling on U.S. 36 fired at a parked Colorado State Patrol trooper Saturday afternoon before the trooper stopped, got out of his vehicle and was killed by the wounded officer in a shootout on the Turnpike's median, authorities said.

The injured officer, identified by state police as Cpl. Tye Simcox, was taken to Denver Health and released later that afternoon after being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

“I'll tell you frankly that our member was attacked today by a man who wanted to kill him. That is shocking and unacceptable,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, during a press conference Saturday evening.

“But our Colorado police officer responded appropriately, quickly and courageously and won today,” he said. “And in winning, he not only saved his own life, but the lives of the rest of his community from someone who clearly had evil intentions.”

Simcox was parked in his marked Ford 150 pickup between two concrete barriers on the median of U.S. 36, just west of Federal Boulevard in Westminster, about 1:18 p.m., doing paperwork, Packard said. An adult male driving a black Chevrolet pickup eastbound on U.S. 36 slowed down, he said.

“As he passed our officer, he began firing several shots with a handgun into our patrol car, targeting a Colorado State Trooper,” Packard said.

The gunman stopped, got out of his vehicle and “started attacking our officer again,” he said. The man fired his semi-automatic pistol into the patrol car's windshield while the wounded officer got out with his rifle and returned fire, officials said.

“He managed to strike and ultimately kill the suspect who attacked him,” Packard said.

Simcox was shot once in the arm and was able to apply a tourniquet to the limb while he waited for Colorado State Patrol and Westminster Police officers to arrive.

Packard said investigators have not yet identified the dead gunman and do not know what prompted him to shoot the parked police officer.

After the early afternoon shooting, investigators closed U.S. 36 from Federal Boulevard to Sheridan Boulevard in both directions for hours. The westbound lanes reopened at 8:15 p.m. and the eastbound lanes reopened at around 10 p.m., according to Westminster police.

“I want everyone to know that we emerged victorious today, and that's really, really important because that's what good does,” Packard told reporters. “Good and courageous people triumph over evil cowardice – and that's exactly what happened today on Highway 36.”

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