1 injured in shooting between deputies, driver during speeding stop on Prospect Road
A man was injured after exchanging gunfire with Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputies following an attempted traffic stop late Tuesday night.
The shooting happened just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Prospect Road and Sharp Point Drive, east of Prospect's intersection with Timberline Road. Prospect Road was closed between Timberline and Summit View Drive for several hours while investigators processed the scene, with a portion of that closure affecting traffic in both directions. Just before 9 a.m. Wednesday, Fort Collins Police Services, which is leading the investigation into the shooting, tweeted that the road had fully reopened.
According to an initial news release from Larimer County Sheriff's Office, a sheriff's deputy was trying to stop a vehicle "driving at a high rate of speed" on Timberline prior to the shooting.
The sheriff's office says that vehicle turned east on Prospect and then stopped close to Sharp Point Drive. The sheriff's office says the male driver and sole occupant of the vehicle opened the door and shot a handgun.
Another sheriff's office deputy responded to help the deputy involved in the attempted traffic stop, and both deputies returned fire, the sheriff's office said.
The driver was shot during the incident and sustained serious injuries. He was taken to an area hospital. The deputies were not injured.
The 8th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team has been activated to investigate the incident, in accordance with state law. Because Fort Collins Police Services is the lead investigating agency, further information regarding this shooting will be released by them.
This is the fifth shooting involving Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputies this year, according to Coloradoan records.
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How CIRT works
The 8th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT, was formed in 2015 in accordance with a new state law requiring a multiagency team to investigate "an incident involving the discharge of a firearm by a peace officer that resulted in injury or death."
The team is automatically and immediately activated when a police officer is involved in a shooting. The agency that employs the officer or officers involved in a shooting is responsible for alerting the team.
CIRT can also investigate incidents involving officers that result in serious injury or death, including car crashes, as well as incidents in the Larimer County Jail.
Fort Collins Police Services, Loveland Police Department and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office take turns being the lead agency for police shooting investigations. Each year, the responsibility rotates to a different agency.
More:How the Critical Incident Response Team investigates police shootings in Larimer County
Agencies involved in the investigations include: Windsor Police Department, Timnath Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Estes Park Police Department, Colorado State University Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and the Larimer County District Attorney's Office.
An agency cannot investigate itself.
After a CIRT investigation is completed, the report is presented to the district attorney, who decides if any criminal charges will be filed related to the incident.
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Coloradoan reporter Sady Swanson contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: 1 injured in shooting between Larimer County deputies, driver
