One trooper suffered serious injuries and another had minor wounds after gunfire erupted west of Woodland Park.
WOODLAND PARK, CO — A suspect was taken into custody Tuesday after two Colorado State Patrol troopers were shot during a morning traffic stop on U.S. 24 west of Woodland Park, prompting a large manhunt and shelter-in-place orders in nearby neighborhoods.
The shooting triggered a response involving state and local officers, federal agents and investigators across Teller County. Authorities said one trooper suffered serious injuries while the second had minor wounds. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation confirmed the suspect was in custody by about 9:55 a.m., roughly two hours and 40 minutes after the shooting. Officials then lifted shelter-in-place orders that had covered the Westwood Lakes and Woodland West areas.
The encounter began at about 7:15 a.m. Aug. 25 near U.S. 24 and Piney Point Lane, close to the community of Crystola and west of Woodland Park. Colorado State Patrol officials said two troopers were attempting to conduct a traffic stop when gunfire struck them. Authorities initially reported that a man associated with the stopped vehicle opened fire before fleeing the scene. The Teller County Sheriff’s Office said the troopers were able to get themselves to medical care after the shooting. One was later described as seriously wounded, while the other had injuries considered minor. Officials had not publicly identified either trooper by late Tuesday morning. Colorado State Patrol Trooper Sherri Mendez described the case as a developing investigation while officers searched the area and gathered information about what happened during the stop.
Investigators focused their search on a blue Subaru Impreza hatchback that authorities said had no visible front license plate or had plates obscured by tinted covers. The suspect was described during the search as a tall white man with facial hair and brown or blond shoulder-length hair. Authorities said he had been wearing blue jeans and a terracotta-colored shirt. The Teller County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect fled toward Westwood Lakes and Woodland West and might have continued on foot. Deputies cordoned off parts of the area and began canvassing roads and properties. The sheriff’s office also deployed a drone as officers searched near Trout Creek Road and Piney Point Lane. At about 8:43 a.m., authorities sent a public safety message describing the suspect and vehicle. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation also issued a Blue Alert because officers had been wounded and the suspect remained at large.
The search brought a heavy police presence to the mountain communities along U.S. 24 between the Colorado Springs area and communities farther west. Law enforcement vehicles gathered near the highway and Piney Point Lane while officers searched the Westwood Lakes area. The Teller County Sheriff’s Office instructed residents in the affected neighborhoods to remain inside during the search, and authorities restricted access to parts of the scene while investigators worked. Around 30 vehicles from several agencies were reported in the area at the height of the response, including units from the Colorado State Patrol, Teller County Sheriff’s Office, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado Springs police. Federal personnel also assisted. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said its Denver office was responding, and U.S. Marshals personnel were also reported at the scene. Authorities had not publicly detailed what led troopers to initiate the original traffic stop.
The Teller County Sheriff’s Office used its emergency alert system to tell people in Westwood Lakes and later Woodland West to secure homes and businesses and remain away from doors and windows. The warnings reflected authorities’ belief that the suspect could be armed and moving through the area on foot. The Blue Alert issued later in the morning repeated the description of the man and Subaru and identified the shooting location as the area of U.S. 24 and Piney Point Lane. The alert said the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. Investigators released photographs of the vehicle believed to have been involved, giving officers and residents another way to identify it during the search. By shortly before 10 a.m., authorities said the search had ended with an arrest. Officials did not immediately release details describing where the suspect was found, how officers located him or whether any additional force was used while taking him into custody.
Authorities also had not publicly released the suspect’s name or announced criminal charges by late Tuesday morning. The case remained under investigation after the arrest, with officers continuing to process the traffic-stop location and other areas connected to the search. Investigators were expected to determine the sequence of events that preceded the shooting, the number of shots fired, what weapon was used and whether anyone else was inside the Subaru. Officials had not said whether a firearm was recovered. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s involvement indicated that evidence collection and interviews were continuing after the immediate public threat ended. Any criminal counts would depend on evidence gathered by investigators and decisions by prosecutors. Authorities had not announced an initial court appearance or a schedule for filing formal charges. The names of the wounded troopers also remained withheld as officials focused on their medical treatment and notifying people close to them.
Gov. Jared Polis said he was devastated by the shooting and was thinking of the injured troopers and their families as they received medical treatment. Polis also thanked law enforcement agencies for coordinating the search and apprehending the suspect. The response unfolded around a busy mountain highway that links the Colorado Springs area with Woodland Park and communities farther west. Near the shooting scene, crime scene tape was reported along a dirt-road entrance as groups of officers, deputies, troopers and investigators worked nearby. A forensic vehicle was also seen near a hospital connected to the response. One of the wounded troopers was reportedly treated in the Woodland Park area, while the trooper with more serious injuries was transported for care in Colorado Springs. Officials had not released a detailed medical update on either trooper by the time the suspect was captured.
The capture brought an end to the immediate manhunt, and the Teller County Sheriff’s Office lifted the shelter-in-place orders shortly before 10 a.m. Authorities continued asking people to stay clear of active investigative areas as officers processed evidence. The shooting remained an active case Tuesday, with the suspect in custody and additional details, including his identity and possible charges, still pending.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.