Colorado State Patrol trooper shot while parked along US 36

A gunman driving on U.S. 36 shot at a parked Colorado State Patrol trooper Saturday afternoon before stopping, getting out of his vehicle and being killed by the wounded law enforcement officer during a shootout along the turnpike’s median, authorities said.

The injured officer, identified by the State Patrol as Cpl. Tye Simcox was taken to Denver Health and released later that afternoon after being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

“I will tell you very directly that today our member was targeted by a man who intended to kill him, and that is shocking and unacceptable,” Col. Matthew Packard, the head of the Colorado State Patrol, said during a news conference Saturday evening . .

“But our Colorado State Trooper responded appropriately, quickly and courageously, and he won today,” he said. “And by winning, he saved not only his own life, but the rest of his community from someone who clearly intended to do harm.”

Simcox was parked in his marked Ford 150 pickup between two concrete barriers in the median of U.S. 36, just west of Federal Boulevard in Westminster, doing paperwork around 1:18 p.m., Packard said. An adult male driving a black Chevrolet pickup truck eastbound on U.S. 36 slowed down, he said.

“As he passed our trooper, he began firing multiple shots from a handgun at our patrol car, targeting a Colorado State Trooper,” Packard said.

The gunman stopped, got out of his vehicle “and began attacking our trooper again,” he said. The man fired his semiautomatic handgun into the windshield of the patrol vehicle as the wounded soldier stepped outside with his rifle and fired back, officials said.

“He was able to strike and ultimately kill the suspect who attacked him,” Packard said.