A Colorado police officer was attacked in a senseless, “targeted” attack while parked in his car on the side of a highway on Saturday, killing the suspect in a shootout, authorities said.
Corporal Ty Simcox encountered “evil” as he slowly drove past an officer's patrol car parked in the median of Highway 36 in the Denver suburb of Westminster when a gunman began firing indiscriminately at him, a 16-year veteran of state law enforcement.
According to State Police Chief Matthew Packard, the gunman pulled over to the left side of the highway, got out of his Chevrolet pickup truck and began firing wildly with a semi-automatic handgun. He said at a press conference.
“Our officer exited his patrol vehicle and immediately began returning fire and was able to shoot and kill the suspect who was attacking him,” Packard said, noting Simcox used a rifle during the shootout.
Simcox was shot in the lower right arm and had a tourniquet applied to the gunshot wound before being taken to a hospital. He was released later Saturday.
“Today our members were targeted by a man intent on killing them. This is shocking and unacceptable,” Packard said.
“But Colorado police officers responded appropriately, quickly and courageously, and today they won. And with that victory, he not only saved his own life, he saved the rest of this community from someone clearly up to no good.”
Authorities have not yet released the suspect's identity.
Packard was full of praise for his men.
“He saw the face of evil, responded appropriately and prevailed,” he said.
