CSPD Press Release:
On Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at around 2:30 P.M., El Paso County Sheriff (EPSO) deputies contacted an armed suicidal adult man in the area of Gollihar Road and Gollihar Court. That intersection is in a rural area of unincorporated El Paso County near Peyton, Colorado.
EPSO’s Behavioral Health Connect (BHCON) Unit responded to the scene, along with multiple deputies from EPSO’s Patrol Division, Tactical Support Unit, and K9. Deputies located and contacted the individual in an open field near Gollihar Court. The individual later retreated to a wooded ridgeline overlooking the deputies location. Numerous attempts to deescalate the man were made by phone over the next several hours. During these attempts, he fired his weapon at least one time at deputies.
During the incident, three deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office fired their duty weapon at least one time. Medical personnel who were staged nearby immediately rendered aid. Despite life-saving measures, the individual was pronounced deceased on scene.
No other community members or deputies were injured in this incident. The deputies involved in this incident were placed on administrative leave per EPSO’s policy.
In accordance with Colorado Revised Statute 16-2.5-301, the Colorado Springs Police Department is the lead investigative agency for this officer-involved shooting. This is an ongoing investigation and information will be released as appropriate. All updates, with the exception of naming the involved deputies, will come from the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The deputies involved in this incident are Deputy Ryan Gonzales, Deputy David Fisher, and Deputy Andrew Peery. Deputy Ryan Gonzales has been employed with the Sheriff's Office since 2007 and assigned to the Tactical Support Unit. Deputy Fisher has been employed with the Sheriff's Office since 2014 and is assigned to the Tactical Support Unit. Deputy Andrew Peery has been employed with the Sheriff's Office since 2016 and is assigned to the Tactical Support Unit.