ESTES PARK, Colo. (KDVR) — A law enforcement park ranger shot and injured a suspect after being shot outside the Fall River entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Colorado State Patrol told FOX31 the shots were fired after a ranger stopped a vehicle that troopers had been pursuing. That pursuit was called off about 30 minutes earlier.
According to RMNP, a park ranger encountered two suspects reported in a vehicular pursuit with CSP earlier between the Fall River entrance and visitors center. When the ranger contacted the suspects, the ranger was shot. The ranger was protected by a bulletproof vest and not seriously injured. The ranger returned fire, injuring one suspect.
Both the ranger and injured suspect were taken to the hospital but expected to be ok, and the second suspect is in custody.
Joseph Maynes lives right near the Fall River entrance where the shooting happened. He shared a video with FOX31 showing the seconds after he heard a number of gunshots.
The video captures who Maynes says was the park ranger telling one of the two suspects not to talk, telling the male suspect he shot him.
“He was shot in the chest, but he had a vest so he was fine,” Maynes said.
Maynes says the suspects were a male and a female.
“It seemed like a Bonnie and Clyde situation, he was yelling to his girl that he loved her,” Maynes said. “It’s rare, it’s not like we live in a bad place, it’s a good town.”
RMNP said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation and that the park remains closed from outside the Fall River Entrance on U.S. 34 to Deer Ridge Junction for the ongoing investigation.
FOX31 News is working to find out what was the cause of the initial pursuit. We will update this story when we learn more.