DENVER — A day after an officer-involved shooting that wounded four — one of which was a Denver police officer — and killed one, Denver police have arrested three suspects.
Michael Valdez, 38, Chuck Montoya, 34, and Jude Montoya, 21, and Alyssa Moralez, 21, were all being held for various charges on Thursday, including four counts of criminal attempted murder of a peace officer and one count of first degree assault.
The shooting took place after a high-speed car chase that ended when a red pickup truck hit a tree in Columbus Park at 39th Avenue and Osage Street. Denver police shot and killed one suspect before apprehending the four suspects who were named Thursday..
Police originally said one suspect escaped and was the subject of a massive police search. However, Denver police said late Wednesday that all suspects in the shooting were in custody.
Witnesses told FOX31 Denver they saw a red pickup truck driving very fast down Osage. It sideswiped several cars in the area before crashing head-on into a tree at Columbus Park.
Denver police had said there were five suspects in the truck. One person was shot and killed at Columbus Park. Another man was shot and taken to Denver Health. He was in critical condition Thursday afternoon. A third suspect was also taken to the hospital after police K9 gave him a serious dog bite.
The fourth suspect — likely Moralez — was taken to the hospital with injuries related to the truck crashing into the tree, police said.
SWAT team members and officers from all over the city participated in the search and apprehension of the fifth and last suspect.
The injured officer, Sgt. Bob Motyka, was taken to Denver Health for treatment. He was listed in serious condition with a shoulder injury, but his injuries were not life-threatening.