1 officer killed, 4 injured but suspect shot dead

A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriff’s deputies in Colorado early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost immediately and were shot “very, very quickly” after entering a suburban Denver apartment and trying to talk with the suspect, who was holed up inside a bedroom.

“They all went down almost within seconds of each other, so it was more of an ambush-type of attack on our officers,” Spurlock said. “He knew we were coming and we obviously let him know that we were there.”

The Douglas County coroner identified the suspect as 37-year-old Matthew Riehl.

A YouTube user named Matthew Riehl posted a YouTube video on December 13, saying he wanted to replace Spurlock and railing against the sheriff and other officers in profane, highly personal terms.

The wounded deputies tried to pull the fallen officer, Zackari Parrish, out of the line of further gunfire but were unable to because of their own injuries, Spurlock said.