Heavy law enforcement descends on Windsor hotel after shots fired at first responders
Update Jan. 8: Prosecutor shares details on Windsor hotel shooting that drew major police response Sunday
Original: A heavy show of law enforcement descended on the AmericInn at Wyndham at the southeast corner of Interstate 25 and Colorado Highway 392 late Sunday afternoon after police say a person shot at first responders responding to a fire alarm at the hotel.
According to a town of Windsor release just after 9 p.m. Sunday, Windsor police arrived at the AmercInn in Windsor, 7645 Westgate Dr., around 4:20 p.m., for a reported disturbance. Witnesses on scene reported a suspect was armed with a weapon.
Windsor Severance Fire Rescue responded to the hotel at the same location after a fire alarm was activated.
Officers attempted to contact the suspect, which resulted in officers exchanging gunfire with the suspect, according to the release.
The suspect was safely taken into custody and there were no injuries reported.
Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen told the Coloradoan the suspect was in custody shortly before 5:30 p.m.
"Once they made contact with the suspect, they took him into custody and did a slow clear of the rest of the hotel to make sure no one was injured and there was only one suspect," Feyen said in a nearby parking lot 10 minutes after he arrived on scene. "We are pretty confident that is the case this early into the investigation.''
In addition to the gunshot exchange, a Windsor police vehicle responding to the call collided with a vehicle at the intersection of Colorado 392 and Larimer County Road 5, just east of the shooting scene, Feyen said.
A Coloradoan reporter at the scene saw the Windsor police vehicle with front end damage resting at the southwest corner of the intersection while another vehicle suffered damage to its side in the westbound lanes of Colorado 392.
The town of Windsor on Monday said minor injuries were reported in the crash.
Law enforcement blocked Colorado 392 from Larimer County Road 5 west to the Interstate 25 on- and off-ramps. The area remained block as of 9 p.m., according to the release.
The heavy law enforcement presence that stretched from I-25 east to Larimer County Road 5 included members of special tactical forces from the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Fort Collins police and Weld County Sheriff's Office along with fire and medical first responders.
"The call came in and it was aired regionally, so you have law enforcement on duty and off-duty that responds,'' Feyen said.
The shooting is being investigated by the 8th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team. CIRT is a multi-agency response team under the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged with investigating shootings and incidents resulting in serious injury or death when they involve police.
The 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office expanded its CIRT protocol in August to require law enforcement agencies to consult the district attorney’s office in all cases involving an officer and a member of the public when either party is seriously injured, whether or not a firearm was used, in an effort to be more transparent, according to a news release.
The Loveland Police Department is the lead investigating agency for this case, according to the release.
What is the CIRT investigation process?
Immediately after an officer is involved in a shooting or other qualifying incident, the agency that employs that officer calls on CIRT and notifies the district attorney's office.
The team arrives on scene, and team members will collect evidence from the scene and log it with the agency overseeing the investigation. The officer involved in the incident should be processed and interviewed.
When the investigation is complete, CIRT team members present the findings to the district attorney.
The district attorney makes a finding on whether the officer involved should be charged with a crime.
If no charges are filed, the district attorney must publicly release a report explaining the district attorney's findings and why the officer was not charged.
If the district attorney refers the case to the grand jury, the district attorney must release a statement disclosing the general purpose of the grand jury's investigation.
Previous reporting by Coloradoan reporter Sady Swanson contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Shots fired at first responders at Windsor hotel at I-25 and CO 392
