Copper Canyon Apartment Homes shooting

On December 31, 2017, deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office led by veteran Sgt. Dave Beyer responded to a domestic disturbance in the apartments around 5:20 AM. They had already been called to the apartment earlier, around 3:00 AM, on a noise complaint, but left after they were unable to determine if an offense had taken place.[7] On the second call, officers determined that the alleged shooter, Matthew Riehl, was an individual with mental illness who was presenting a danger to himself and others. They decided to take Riehl into custody on an M-1 (mental health hold).[4][8]

Upon entering the apartment, the officers attempted to gain access to Riehl's bedroom, at which time Riehl began firing rapid rounds through the bedroom door at the officers. Four officers were hit immediately.[9] Three officers (Deputy Jeff Pelle was shot once in the chest. Deputy Taylor Davis was shot five times in her left forearm, front left thigh and left shoulder. Deputy Mike Doyle was shot twice in the left forearm) were able to retreat, but Deputy Zackari Parrish remained in the apartment, injured. During the ensuing standoff, Riehl continued to fire rounds from his bedroom, causing injuries to two civilians and one SWAT officer (Farook Patail was shot once in the left shoulder. Nathan Lapp was shot once in the left elbow. SWAT officer Thomas O'Donnell was shot once in the right front thigh) in neighboring apartments.[7] A SWAT team was finally able to enter the apartment around 7:30 AM, and a gunfight ensued, at which time Riehl was shot in the back and killed by SWAT Officer Ronnie Dorrell.[9]

Officers say Riehl fired almost 400 shots, many of which ended up in neighbors' apartments and adjacent buildings.[4][5]

Matthew Edward Riehl (September 9, 1980 - December 31, 2017), is a former veteran and lawyer who enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2003, and in 2006 he joined the Wyoming Army National Guard. He deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom from April 2009 to March 2010. His mother has said he had post-traumatic stress disorder. He was honorably discharged in 2012. His last rank was specialist, and he was classified as a medic. Riehl had graduated from the law school in 2010 and received a license to practice law in Wyoming in May 2011. He initially practiced in a law firm in the town of Rawlins, Wyoming, then opened his own law practice, according to AP. He voluntarily withdrew from the bar in October 2016. Riehl had escaped from a veterans' mental health ward in 2014 where he was being treated for a psychotic episode, according to a report obtained by the Denver Post. He was located and returned to the facility, where he was placed on a 72-hour mental health hold. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Riehl had been making nonsensical ramblings and anti-police comments on YouTube.

Three of the injured, including the injured civilians, were taken to Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colorado, with injuries that were not critical. Another four were taken to Littleton Adventist Hospital in Littleton.[9] Deputies confirmed that one officer, 29-year-old Deputy Zackari Parrish, was shot multiple times and died at the scene from his injuries.[10]

President Donald Trump extended his condolences to the victims of the shooting via Twitter: "My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM".[11]

All 11 of the officers involved in the incident were cleared of Riehl's death, and it was officially determined that they acted "completely lawfully in using deadly force against Matthew Riehl."[12]

The incident was chronicled on the tenth episode of the first season of the Investigation Discovery TV show Body Cam, which plays footage from multiple body cameras, including those of Sheriff's deputies and SWAT team officers.[5]