Deputy, two suspects injured in car crash, officer-involved shooting outside Pueblo Loaf ‘N Jug
Sadie Buggle
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The 10th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is investigating an overnight officer-involved shooting in Pueblo County that sent a deputy and two suspects to the hospital.
According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), at about 11:30 p.m. on June 24, deputies responded to a call made by an employee at the Loaf ‘N Jug at 31918 E. Highway 96, reporting a “suspicious vehicle.”
The employee told officials that a customer had reported being approached by the driver of a gold Ford Explorer and asked for money. When the customer told the man he didn’t have any money, the man said he was going to “rob the next customer who came to the store,” PCSO said.
The Loaf ‘N Jug is located approximately a mile east of the Pueblo city limits, near the Pueblo Airport, at the intersection of 32nd Lane.
When two deputies arrived on the scene and attempted to contact the occupants of the Explorer, the driver, trying to elude law enforcement, hit two of the patrol vehicles – injuring a deputy in the process.
According to PCSO, deputies responded by firing shots at the vehicle as it fled westbound on Highway 96 toward Pueblo.
The deputies pursued the car and conducted a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, causing the suspect’s vehicle to roll near Highway 96 and Victory Lane, the sheriff’s office said.
The 23-year-old driver and 42-year-old passenger of the Explorer were taken into custody. PCSO said deputies treated the driver, who had two gunshot wounds, until medical personnel arrived.
Both the driver and the passenger were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver was later taken to a Colorado Springs hospital for further treatment. He will be arrested following his release, PCSO said.
Meanwhile, the deputy injured when his patrol car was hit by the suspect’s vehicle was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released, the sheriff’s office confirmed.
PCSO said that the Critical Incident Response Team, led by the Pueblo Police Department, is now investigating the incident.
The deputy involved in the shooting, who has not been named, was placed on paid administrative leave per the office’s standard operating procedure, PCSO confirmed.
“Our deputies responded to a dangerous and rapidly evolving situation with the goal of protecting thepublic,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero. “We’re grateful no lives were lost, and wecontinue to prioritize the safety of everyone in our community.”
The circumstances surrounding the officer-involved shooting are still being investigated; PCSO said more details will be released as they become available.
KRDO13 crews reported seeing a heavy law enforcement presence beside the gas station on 32nd Lane; the street was closed during the investigation, and evidence markers filled the middle of the street.
Authorities left the scene shortly before 7 a.m.; the store remained open for much of the overnight.
Steven Moore lives several blocks away from the scene and said that he didn’t hear gunfire, but says he’s not surprised the incident happened in his neighborhood.
“It’s getting a little too close,” he said. “Even the Sinclair convenience store next door has been robbed or vandalized a couple of different times.”