The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the following preliminary information on behalf of the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).
All officer-involved shootings in Mesa County are investigated by the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team, which is comprised of representatives of the Grand Junction Police Department, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, Fruita Police Department, Palisade Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, Colorado Department of Corrections, 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and Colorado Bureau of Investigation. CIRT is activated when a law enforcement agency is involved in a critical incident to ensure an independent investigation. Because Grand Junction Police Department personnel was involved in this incident, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office is leading this investigation on behalf of CIRT.
At approximately 12:36 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2020, the Grand Junction Regional Communications Center received a 911 call regarding the possible location of a stolen vehicle.
A short time later, officers with the Grand Junction Police Department located the vehicle in the area of 29 1/2 Road and Parkway Drive.
While attempting to contact the driver of the stolen vehicle, the vehicle struck an officer, and an officer-involved shooting occurred.
One suspect was shot and transported to the hospital and is currently being treated for what is believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.
The Grand Junction Police officer struck by the suspect’s vehicle was treated on scene by paramedics for minor injuries.
Law enforcement continues to process the scene of this incident for additional evidence. Residents in the area may see an increased presence of law enforcement personnel over the next several hours.
Members of the Critical Incident Response Team will conduct interviews of all witnesses and involved persons in this case over the coming days. Additional details will be released as appropriate, with sensitivity to the ongoing investigation.
The Grand Junction Police Department will be responsible for releasing the names of the involved officers. As per their agency’s policy, the officers will be placed on administrative leave.
Investigators are seeking information and video of this incident. Anyone with information or video of this incident, please call the witness tip line at (970) 244-3526.
We thank the community for their patience and trust to allow us to ensure a thorough and complete investigation into this incident.
