Oklahoma City, OK – Three deputies from the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office have been placed on administrative leave following an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a female suspect. The incident occurred Thursday morning near Lawson, Colorado, after the suspect fled from law enforcement and was later confronted by deputies in a rural area.
The chain of events began at approximately 10:20 a.m. when the Empire Police Department attempted to arrest the woman on a felony warrant out of Oklahoma. The arrest took place near the intersection of Highway 40 and the westbound off-ramp of Interstate 70, at Empire Junction. According to Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jenny Fulton, Empire police called for assistance from the sheriff’s office as the suspect fled the scene.
After a brief pursuit, the suspect crashed her vehicle on County Road 306 near Clear Creek, where she remained inside the car. Fulton confirmed that the woman initially sat in the passenger seat, refusing to comply with commands from officers. She later moved into the driver’s seat and fled the scene, continuing to evade authorities.
Law enforcement officers eventually located the suspect after the crash, but the situation escalated when she remained inside the vehicle, armed with a firearm. Deputies attempted to use less-lethal force in an effort to gain her compliance, but these methods proved ineffective. The suspect exited the vehicle still holding the weapon and pointed it at officers multiple times.
“The suspect continued to point her firearm at our deputies, and when she aimed it directly at them, our deputies responded by firing their weapons,” said Fulton in a statement. The deputies involved in the shooting have since been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol in such incidents.
The woman, whose identity has not been released pending proper notifications, was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. She was pronounced dead shortly after noon on Thursday.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been tasked with investigating the deputy-involved shooting. Meanwhile, the Empire Police Department is handling the original warrant-related incident. No law enforcement officers were injured during the confrontation.
Clear Creek County Sheriff’s officials have assured that the incident will be thoroughly reviewed, with the coroner’s office conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities continue to express condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.
