BWC video released of ambush on Colorado police officer while he was parked on median
By Katie Langford
The Denver Post
WESTMINSTER, Colorado – A Colorado State Patrol corporal was likely a “target of opportunity” when he attacked and shot while parked along U.S. 36 near Westminster earlier this month, agency officials said Monday.
State patrol leaders released body camera footage of the moments before and after Private Tye Simcox was shot on September 7 while parked between two concrete barriers on the median of the highway and doing paperwork.
Click below to watch the full video:
Investigators still don’t know why Victor Anthony De SantiagoThe 32-year-old slowed down and began shooting at Simcox from his truck, agency chief Col. Matthew Packard said at a press conference.
“If I were pressed today, I would tell you that based on current intelligence, I believe Cpl. Simcox was a target of opportunity,” Packard said. “I believe the shooter saw a patrol car and decided to shoot at it.”
According to the footage, Simcox was shot in the right forearm, immediately exited his patrol vehicle, grabbed a rifle from the front seat and returned fire, fatally striking De Santiago.
NYPD
Mayor Eric Adams called the vehicles “a nuisance” and said they allowed drivers to avoid tolls and also supported criminal activity.
Violation of the new policy could result in termination and an investigation by the state board that issues and revokes officer certification.
“People were scared,” said Laurel County Sheriff John Root after the shooting of 12 vehicles and the wounding of five highway drivers on September 7.
“It’s a nice change from my normal job and a way to relieve some stress,” said Brevard County Sheriff’s Deputy Lance Behringer.
The corporal was taken to Denver Health by a police officer and is expected to make a full recovery.
“I am extremely lucky to be alive and am very grateful for everyone’s support and prayers,” Simcox said in a State Patrol statement Monday.
De Santiago, a Thornton resident with a long criminal history in Colorado and California, had previous gang ties, Packard said. None of those ties led to international gangs, he added.
Packard declined to name the gang De Santiago was associated with, adding that it was unclear whether he was a gang member at the time of the shooting.
“The State Police are very interested in finding out why this happened,” Packard said. “We need to make sure we know if there is any specific threat to Cpl. Simcox or members of this organization.”
Available body-worn camera footage of the shooting is limited because Simcox’s camera fell to the ground during the incident and the forward-facing dashboard camera in his vehicle was damaged seconds after the shooting began, Packard said.
The footage shows a passerby stopping to help Simcox shortly after the shooting began, apparently helping him tighten a tourniquet on his arm.
The first officer on the scene was a Simcox-trained patrol officer, Packard said. The two approached De Santiago and handcuffed him. De Santiago lay motionless on the ground next to his car.
As the footage shows, an off-duty police officer also stopped at the crime scene and approached De Santiago with his gun drawn.
According to the footage, Westminster police arrived at the scene just seconds after Officer De Santiago handcuffed Simcox and was checking him for further injuries.
Ambushes against police officers can happen anywhere. In the following video, Gordon Graham explains the facts behind ambushes and how you can increase your chances of survival.
None of the Colorado State Patrol officers provided medical attention to De Santiago after the shooting, but Westminster police did, Packard said.
De Santiago was pronounced dead at the scene.
“I think Tye acted heroically. I think he acted in accordance with his training and I for one am certainly grateful for the way it turned out as far as his well-being is concerned,” Packard said.
Simcox regularly parked in the area to do paperwork because the location was considered safe, Packard said.
State patrol leaders are currently looking into whether there is anything they can do to prevent similar incidents in the future, but that does not include retreating and hiding in the office, he said.
“When people see a state police cruiser, whether it’s on the median of Highway 36 or on an overpass in rural Colorado, they tend to drive better,” Packard said. “That’s actually our mission, to promote safer driving, and that’s the majority of our work, so it’s important for us to be out there.”
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