FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:  April 7, 2018
Contact: Erin Opsahl
(970) 423-8901
Erin.Opsahl@SummitCountyCO.Gov

SHERIFF’S OFFICE SECURES AREA WHILE COMMUNICATING WITH REPORTED SUICIDAL MALE  

SUMMIT COUNTY, CO – On April 6, 2018 at approximately 7:04 p.m. the Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Wildflower condominium complex at 306 Illinois Gulch Road in unincorporated Summit County for the report of a 36 year-old male suicidal subject with multiple firearms. A reverse telephone landline message was sent to residents in the surrounding units to shelter in place.
Deputies secured the area and began communicating with the male through a negotiator and the subject’s girlfriend mostly through text messages. The content of the communication showed a pattern of de-escalation by the male at a point around midnight. After a long period of no contact with the male and also no observed activity in the unit, deputies believed the situation had stabilized and remained on scene outside of the unit all night.
Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons stated, “Deputies are in the Wildflower complex continuing theit investigation this morning to bring a resolution to this incident. There is no public safety concern at this time.”
As the situation was stabilizing around midnight, the Summit County Communications Center, sent a message with the intent of updating the Wildflower complex residents that there was no longer a need to shelter in place. Unfortunately, the message was mistakenly sent to an expanded group of the public, approximately 3,500 telephone numbers. This expanded group of the public had not originally been notified of the original message. The Communication Center apologizes for any alarm or concern this may have caused.

This is an active and ongoing investigation with police activity in the area. Additional information will be released when it is available.

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