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Officer shot in Glenwood Canyon; I-70 remains closed westbound

Scott N. Miller and Randy Wyrick
Daily staff writers
Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario speaks during a news conference on Thursday regarding the shooting that took place in Glenwood Canyon.
Anthony Thornton | athornton@vaildaily.com |

EAGLE COUNTY — A Colorado State Patrol trooper was shot and a suspect was killed in an incident along westbound Interstate 70 Thursday morning that has closed the westbound highway through Glenwood Canyon.

The Colorado State Patrol reports that an officer stopped to help a motorist at about mile marker 129, just inside the east end of the canyon, shortly after 9 a.m. Shots were fired, the suspect was killed and the officer was injured. The officer was taken by ambulance to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs. He was in and out of consciousness, and he lost a lot of blood, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Westbound I-70 is closed at Wolcott. Transportation department officials report westbound lanes could be closed until at least 4 p.m.



Eastbound I-70 reopened at 12:39 p.m. It was closed for over three hours.

Until the highway re-opens, westbound traffic is being routed northbound over State Highway 131 from Wolcott, then westbound on U.S. Highway 40 through Steamboat Springs.



Eagle County Sheriff’s officers are working to keep traffic off the Cottonwood Pass road, and Colorado Department of Transportation crews and the State Patrol are clearing vehicles out of the canyon. Westbound motorists headed to the southern part of the state — Delta, Montrose and points south — are asked to take Colorado Highway 9 through Summit County, then U.S. Highway 285 to U.S. Highway 50.

TEMPERS FLARE IN TRAFFIC

In Wolcott, tempers started to run a little high as traffic remained stopped Thursday morning.

A man waved a gun at Colorado Department of Transportation workers as they worked traffic control. They were immediately descended upon by some of the many, many law enforcement officers at the scene.

A man and woman were taken into custody.

In another incident, a truck driver stuck in traffic jumped down from his truck and almost started a fight.

“People need to try to understand that we’re just doing our jobs, the same as everyone else,” said a CDOT staffer at the scene.

This story will be updated.


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