FORT LUPTON, Colo. — A 19-year-old man is facing several charges in the shooting of a Fort Lupton police officer on Monday night.
Court documents show Matthew Cotter was arrested for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and threatening a peace officer with a weapon.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Greeley Police Department, the Fort Lupton officer who was shot was Sgt. Christopher Pelton.
The affidavit said Pelton has undergone two surgeries since the shooting.
The affidavit says Cotter admitted under questioning after waiving his Miranda rights on Tuesday morning to shooting at least three rounds from his handgun at Pelton.
Pelton was shot in the face outside a home in the 200 block of Ponderosa Place about 10:40 p.m.
Cotter told detectives that when he heard police sirens approaching, he took a handgun from a vehicle, loaded a round in the chamber, then hid behind a fence, according to the affidavit.
When officers arrived, Cotter “admitting shooting three or four rounds from his handgun at an officer,” according to the affidavit.
“I shot, he dropped. They shot, I dropped,” Cotter is alleged to have said.
After shooting, Cotter said he heard other officers approaching and tried to run away, but was shot and taken into custody.
Officers went to the home about 9 p.m. after a resident called police to say her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, identified as Cotter, had threatened to harm the daughter then kill himself, the affidavit reads.
Officers could not find Cotter or his vehicle, but less than two hours later, there was another call from the same home, according to the affidavit.
The caller said Cotter was parked outside the home with the lights turned off. The affidavit says Cotter sent a text message to his ex-girlfriend, saying “It’s too late.”
Officers interviewed the ex-girlfriend, who said their relationship ended in August and since then he has expressed suicidal thoughts, the affidavit says.