The Weld County District Attorney has cleared a pair of Greeley police officers for shooting at an armed man who led police on a chase through the University of Northern Colorado campus in June.
Just after 8 p.m. June 18, police tried to pull over Theodore Rybus, 41, on a felony warrant in the 1300 block of 16th Street.
Rybus refused to stop, and officers called off the pursuit, but he was found just minutes later near Kepner Hall on UNC’s campus and officers tried again to arrest him. Rybus was holding a gun and fled as two officers chased him and shouted at him several times to drop the weapon.
Several civilians were on campus at the time, including a husband and wife with their newborn who were seen about 126 feet away from Rybus, according to a report from the district attorney’s office. Both officers who fired their weapons later cited a fear for the civilians’ safety, with one of the officers having seen a stroller.
Police fired four shots at Rybus, striking him once in the back. While still on campus, Rybus shot himself in the head, according to the district attorney’s office.
The Weld Critical Incident Response Team investigated and presented its findings to District Attorney Michael Rourke, who determined Monday that the officers were justified in discharging their firearms.
“Officers reasonably believed when they fired their weapons that bystanders on the campus were in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury,” Rourke wrote in a report to Greeley Police Chief Adam Turk.
Toxicology reports indicated Rybus was under the influence of fentanyl and methamphetamine at the time of the incident.
In its investigative report, the district attorney’s office notes Rybus’ mother was murdered by her boyfriend in July 2006, making this time of year emotionally difficult for him. Rybus had been diagnosed with a mental illness as an adolescent and was homeless and unemployed, according to the report.
Police initially reported that Rybus shot at officers first, but later retracted that in an update.
Hence then, the article about greeley officers cleared of charges in june shooting at unc was published today ( ) and is available on GreeleyTribune ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Greeley officers cleared of charges in June shooting at UNC )
Also on site :