Free Thought Project – by Matt Agorist
Douglas County, CO — In what is being referred to as an “ambush style” attack, a Colorado deputy was tragically killed New Year’s Eve by a delusional gunman. Although the attack was called an ‘ambush’ in the media, the shooter, Matthew Riehl live-streamed the attack before which he is heard telling deputies to go away.
Late Sunday afternoon the deputy who lost his life was identified as 29-year-old Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Zackari Parrish. He was described as a veteran law enforcement officer, and leaves behind a wife and two children. Along with Parrish, four other deputies were shot, as well as two civilians.
The incident began early Sunday morning when deputies showed up to Riehl’s apartment to talk about a restraining order he wished to file against his domestic partner.
Instead of ambushing the officers, Riehl refused to cooperate with them, did not answer their questions and demanded to see a warrant when they asked to come inside. After Riehl refused to let them in, he then shut the door after telling them he was going to bed.
The deputies then left only to return a short time later. According to Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock, this time, officers were let into the apartment by Riehl’s roommate. When they attempted to enter Riehl’s bedroom, he then opened fire.
In the video, which was live-streamed to Periscope, multiple shots can be heard being fired from a high-powered rifle. It was this initial barrage that wounded three deputies and killed another.
Although the video was taken down by Periscope at the request of the Sheriff’s department, a brief excerpt of the audio remains to show the intense nature of the confrontation and the psychotic nature of Riehl.
Gephardt Daily managed to obtain the entire stream which shows the lead-up to the attack, as well the shooting itself.
According to their report, while the live stream played out on the Internet, the gunman continued to rant before approaching the gravely wounded deputy and shooting him multiple times at point-blank range.
Moments later, he rummaged through the downed deputy’s pockets, saying that he was looking for a search warrant.
“There’s no warrant,” he exclaimed. “It’s illegal search and seizure! This is a classic courtroom defense!”
Riehl then shot the deputy again.
In the video, Riehl is then seen putting on a gas mask as he appears to wait for more officers to show up. Throughout the morning, Riehl fired more shots until he was ultimately shot and killed by police.
NBC Denver’s Kyle Clark reports that Riehl did a tour of Iraq in 2009 until 2010. In 2012, Riehl was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army reserve after joining in 2003. Clark later reported that while in Iraq, Riehl’s duty was mainly in security.
Riehl operated a Facebook page and a YouTube channel on which he was outspoken against the police department and is seen in a collection of eerie rants.
After the release of the Periscope video, many have taken to social media to question the officers’ response to the situation. Had they gotten an actual warrant instead of simply walking into the apartment, many are saying that it could’ve resulted in a different outcome in which the 29-year-old father of two would still be alive.
Below is the audio from the Periscope live stream. It contains graphic audio and may be disturbing to some listeners.
#1, good one on getting this post with the audio. I’d read an article earlier that said the video had been taken down. I don’t know if there was more that audio on it or not. The audio in and of itself is great.
“….a brief excerpt of the audio remains to show the intense nature of the confrontation and the psychotic nature of Riehl…..”
I didn’t detect any “psychotic nature” in Riehl. Just an angry guy defending his home, and his right to be left alone there.
All I can see in this incident is that the invading pigs got exactly what they deserved.
R.I.P., Mr. Riehl.
I’d say he was justified
No warrant
You get lead
Hard to argue with , seems to me the police were asking for it
As I listened to the bullets being fired from Matthew’s firearm I heard the sounds of LIBERTY! RIP Matthew.
Someone called the police on domestic disturbance did they not? The Police have to enter the bldg. Have you no sympathy for the deceased families? I know you hate Cops but some are friends of mine as well as i know others entering the field.
“some are friends of mine as well as i know others entering the field.”
Your friends, Tess, are operating as foot soldiers for an occupation that has removed our rights and inflicted oppression upon us. Your friends are traitors to our people and to our country. Your friends murder our people on a daily basis. As your friends are traitors, so are you, for supporting the foreign occupation of our country. Your friends are the enemy.
Eloquent!
ditto that!
🙂
got your blue porch light on?
Tess, the fact that some cops are your friends does not change the moral implications of what they do. In other words, why should anyone give a pass to state-sponsored gangsters just because you’re friendly with some of their gang?
ALL police in this country today are armed enemies of the Bill of Rights. This has been covered endlessly in comments here, but I’ll go over it again.
Even SUPPOSING that in this case the police had a legitimate reason to be in Mr. Riehl’s home without his permission, what about all the other evil things they do, like busting people for unjust laws against victimless crimes, mass surveillance, using unnecessary force to get their sadistic jollies, planting evidence, or lying in court? Such despicable behaviors are ubiquitous in US law enforcement today. Moreover — and this is a key point — it’s extraordinarily rare for even “good” cops to blow the whistle on the corrupt, abusive ones. And it’s painfully obvious that the rest of the “justice” system does whatever it can to shield thug cops from accountability.
Anyone who willingly participates in the law enforcement system today implies that he or she condones the whole rotten system. It’s like signing up to be a guard in a concentration camp: whether you’re relatively “nice” to the inmates or a sadistic thug, you’re still helping to uphold the evil system that deprives people of their freedom and dignity. Any guard who gets killed by an inmate in such a situation TRULY deserved it.
With friends like that, you’ll never lack for enemies.
Wakey, wakey…
Someone must have captured the video, will have to search deep for it..!!
And if I may add my usual diatribe here I believe it appropriate… this is for u Tess, share it with ur Friends in the field..!
“The Enforcers of Tyranny, MUST bare the brunt of the people’s resistance to it”