A Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy was in serious but stable condition Thursday after a suspect shot him multiple times in what law enforcement officials characterized as an “ambush-style attack.”
Deputy Michael Hutton was shot while responding to a theft call overnight near Limon, Lincoln County sheriff’s Capt. Michael Yowell said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
“Within seconds of being out of his car and investigating this theft, he was hit with a hail of gunfire and was hit multiple times,” Yowell said.
The shooting sparked an hours-long search in foggy conditions for the suspect that closed U.S. 40 and prompted multiple warnings to households nearby to stay inside.
Law enforcement officials found the deceased suspect in a field about 1,000 yards away from the scene of the shooting. Investigators believe the suspect died by suicide, Yowell said.
The sheriff’s office did not identify the suspect Thursday and Yowell said the coroner would release the man’s identity.
Hutton responded just after 3:15 a.m. to a report of a person breaking into the back of a semitrailer and stealing the merchandise inside near milemarker 386 on U.S. 40, Yowell said.
Hutton arrived minutes after receiving the call and was immediately shot. The deputy found cover in a ditch, Yowell said. The suspect then shot at the truck driver who originally called 911. The truck driver was not shot but suffered minor injuries, Yowell said.
Multiple agencies responded to the calls for help from the sheriff’s office — which has 10 deputies — after Hutton was shot, Yowell said.
“We called everybody,” Yowell said. “We were looking for someone who had just taken out 10% of our law enforcement officers.”
Hutton was transported to a hospital in the Denver area. He remained there Thursday afternoon with his wife, son and the sheriff, Yowell said.
Hutton has worked for the sheriff’s office for more than seven years, Yowell said. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and worked as a military police officer for more than a decade. Hutton worked on the sheriff’s office tactical team and also as a school crossing guard in the town of Hugo.
It’s unclear whether Hutton fired back at the suspect, the sheriff’s office said.
Hutton’s body camera did record the incident, Yowell said. Investigators used the video footage to identify the suspect.
“Deputy Hutton at the time could not communicate but his body camera was able to,” Yowell said.
___
(c) 2021 The Denver Post
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
