A Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger was assaulted Sunday afternoon inside St. Vrain State Park after attempting to stop a suspected impaired driver, according to CPW officials. The incident triggered a multi-agency response and has activated a formal critical incident investigation.
The confrontation began on March 29th when the ranger conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle whose driver was suspected of operating while impaired within park boundaries. The suspect refused to comply with the ranger’s commands and turned physically aggressive, assaulting the officer.
The ranger deployed a Taser in an attempt to subdue the suspect. The device was ineffective. The ranger then held the suspect at gunpoint and radioed for backup.
Officers from the Dacono Police Department, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, and the Firestone Police Department all responded to the scene. A Dacono officer deployed a second Taser during the effort to take the suspect into custody. The suspect sustained injuries during the arrest. The ranger was treated for minor injuries.
In keeping with agency policy, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has opened an internal investigation into how the incident unfolded. The 19th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team has been activated to conduct its own independent review, and CPW says it is fully cooperating with that process. Body-worn cameras were recording throughout the encounter.
