Video: Colo. Police Officer Clashes with Gunman Later Killed in Iowa Shootout
What to know
- A Colorado Springs police officer responding to a disturbance exchanged gunfire with a suspect and discovered a critically wounded victim.
- DNA evidence from the shooting led investigators to a 51-year-old Wisconsin man, who was later killed in a shootout with Iowa law enforcement after allegedly shooting at a deputy.
- The Colorado Springs shooting is under investigation.
By Brennen Kauffman
Source The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
The Colorado Springs Police Department released body camera footage of a non-fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred on April 13.
Police received a call around 12:25 p.m. about a disturbance involving a group on the 4900 block of North Academy Boulevard.
In the body camera video, the responding officer can be seen asking a possible witness at 12:45 p.m. about the location of a woman involved in the disturbance. The officer then saw the woman and began driving closer.
The video, and more information on the department's use of force policy, is available here.
DNA evidence from a shooting on Sunday in Colorado Springs that left one woman severely injured has led investigators to identify the suspect as a 51-year-old Wisconsin man, who died two days later in a shootout with Iowa law enforcement.
Seconds later, the video includes the sound of a gunshot and the officer calling in the shooting. When the officer gets out of her car to respond, several more gunshots are heard from the same direction. The officer returned fire before taking cover behind nearby parked vehicles.
The suspect fled on foot and the officer found a woman on the ground with a gunshot wound to her head. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Preliminary DNA evidence recovered from the scene by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as Vonderrick Rayford, 51, from Wisconsin.
Limited body camera footage of the March 11 officer-involved shooting has been released by the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Rayford was killed two days later in Iowa in another officer-involved shooting. According to Iowa police, Rayford reportedly opened fire on a deputy from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office after being stopped for speeding and was shot during the following standoff with multiple officers.
The Colorado Springs officer involved was identified as Officer Rachael Botkin.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation into the use of force. As per state law, the final investigation will be sent to the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office to determine if the officer was compliant with Colorado law.
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