PUEBLO, CO — The 10th Judicial District Critical Incident Response team is investigating a fatal deputy-involved shooting that took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office said that the incident began Tuesday afternoon near North Mesa Elementary School in East Pueblo County. Deputies responded to shots fired call in the area around 3:40 p.m.
Classes at North Mesa Elementary had already been dismissed but the school was still placed in lockdown for about an hour as deputies investigated and there were still staff and students present on school grounds.
While deputies were investigating they learned the shots fired were from a house on 29th Lane, adjacent to the school's playground. As deputies attempted to contact the man in his home they were turned away and threatened with a gun.
Deputies left the scene and acquired search and arrest warrants for the man due to the dangerous behavior of the individual, and concerns about public safety being in such close proximity to the school. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office SWAT team and negotiators respond to the scene to execute the arrest warrants.
It is unclear when the standoff between the man and the SWAT Team began Tuesday evening. SWAT and negotiators attempted for several hours to get the man to surrender peacefully and after refusal of verbal commands and deploying gas into the home, the suspect refused to surrender.
It was the early hours of Wednesday morning when SWAT team members entered the man's home. As SWAT members entered the home the man allegedly raised his weapon at SWAT members, shots were fired and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The name of the suspect is unknown at this moment and he will be identified by the Pueblo County Coroner at a later date. No Deputies were injured as a result of this altercation.
Two deputies were placed on administrative leave as a result of this incident.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
