The rifle-toting man who gunned down a Colorado deputy in a New Year’s Eve “ambush-style” attack had ranted about the sheriff and a local police officer in recent online posts discovered after the assault.
Matthew Riehl, 37, fired more than 100 rounds as he was holed up in a bedroom in his apartment in Highlands Ranch, before he too was found dead at the scene. The Douglas County Sheriff’s office identified Riehl as the gunman Sunday evening.
**Copper Canyon OIS Update**- Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance resulting in shots fired. 5 deputies shot by suspect. 1 deputy confirmed deceased. 2 civilians also shot by suspect. Suspect shot & believed to be dead & no longer a threat. #CopperCanyonOIS
— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) December 31, 2017
Three other deputies, a police officer and two civilians were also wounded. The deputies and the officer had gone to the apartment around 5:15 a.m. in response to a disturbance, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said. They had been to the apartment about an hour earlier.
“They all went down, almost within seconds of each other,” Spurlock said.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says five deputies were shot at an apartment community in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Fox 31 Denver)
He said the deceased deputy was 29-year-old Zackari Parrish. He had been a deputy for seven months.
Douglas County Coroner confirms shooting suspect in #CopperCanyonOIS as Matthew Riehl DOB 9/09/80 (pictured). Investigation still ongoing and being investigated by @DA18th Critical Response Team. pic.twitter.com/H6wT0klSQv
— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) January 1, 2018
“I can’t tell you how difficult it is for a leader to sit down with a spouse of an officer who was killed in the line of duty,” Spurlock said. “They had many hopes and dreams. He was doing his job and he was doing his job well.”
Parrish is survived by his wife and two children and previously worked for two years at the Castle Rock Police Department.
DCSO Motorcade for our fallen Deputy #CopperCanyonOIS https://t.co/uU618Xw1qp
— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) December 31, 2017
Riehl, who was killed, was an Army veteran who served briefly in Iraq, Fox 31 Denver reported.
He is seen wearing an Iraq combat veteran hat in a Dec. 13 YouTube video in which he called Spurlock a “clown” and a deputy a pimp.
“You know who’s going flub big time next election, Spurlock,” Riehl said in the video called “Fire Sheriff Spurlock.”
He said he was running against Spurlock as a libertarian.
A video posted on Nov. 28 showed a traffic stop by a police officer in the city of Lone Tree — apparently taken inside the officer’s car — that Riehl said was done illegally. He claimed the officer clocked the wrong driver, identifying the officer by name in the video and calling him “dirty.”
“Zack was always there for his friends. Giving scriptural advice to friends in need of advice, or offering up his free time to help his buddies with home projects. Zack was selfless and a true friend to anyone that knew him.” #KDVR pic.twitter.com/X0V63cVFmD
— Ashley Michels (@ReporterAshley) December 31, 2017
Screw the pigs and their grieving families.
They never tell you WHY this guy opened fire on them, only that it was a “grudge”, to push the “all vets are crazy and need to be disarmed” propaganda.
I don’t think he would have shot the cops unless he had good reason to, so I’m going to assume it was justified. He had a grudge, he settled it, and my guess is the cops got what they deserved.
He went out with a bang and took down plenty of KGB with him, applaud the man!