Barricaded armed suspect shot at law enforcement before deputy-involved shooting: Police

Annika Schmidt, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·2 min read

Feb. 28—New details have emerged in an investigation into the deputy-involved shooting of an armed barricaded suspect that kept a neighborhood south of Colorado Springs under a shelter-in-place order and two schools on secure hold for multiple hours on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Robert Wood, 52, was arrested and transported a hospital with a gunshot wound on the leg. No officers or deputies were injured in the incident, police said.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a man threatening another person with a gun at an address in the 60 block of Easy Street in Security-Widefield. A second 911 call reported shots fired in the area, said Lt. Deborah Mynatt with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

Law enforcement responded to the home around 2:20 p.m., where deputies with EPSCO and Fountain police officers saw the suspect inside a residence, according to a news release. Wood allegedly fired one round at law enforcement and a Sheriff's deputy fired their duty weapon at the suspect in response, according to police.

A shelter-in-place was issued for the immediate area, two schools were placed on a secure hold and multiple units responded to the scene, including SWAT, K-9, tactical medics from the Colorado Springs Fire Department, tactical dispatchers, members of the bomb squad and crisis negotiators.

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Law enforcement created a perimeter around the property and established on-and-of communication with the suspect, who was inside the home and refused to exit, according to police.

The news release said law enforcement entered the home around 6:42 p.m., more than four hours after the initial response by deputies.

Court records show that Wood is being held on a $100,000 bond for a felony menacing charge dated Feb. 27.

Wood also has a laundry list of misdemeanor and felony cases dating back to 1988 in El Paso County and was convicted of obstructing a peace officer and trespassing as recently as January 2023. He has also been found guilty of criminal mischief, felony menacing, menacing, identity theft, meth possession, controlled substance possession and theft, among other charges.

The EPSO deputy who fired their weapon has been placed on administrative leave per department policy, according to police. The deputy has not been publicly identified. The Colorado Springs Police Department is investigating the incident.

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