Slain deputy wore bulletproof vest
Two men remain at large after shooting Wednesday in Thornton
The Adams County sheriff’s deputy who was shot to death by a fleeing suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time, Sheriff Michael McIntosh said Thursday. The 22-year-old man accused of shooting the deputy faces his first court hearing Friday, and two men being sought for questioning remain at large.
The sheriff, speaking at a news conference, said it was unclear whether the vest worn by Deputy Heath Gumm failed or whether the deputy was shot in an area not covered by the vest. An autopsy was performed Thursday.
McIntosh also said two other men being sought by authorities are wanted in connection with the initial disturbance call that Gumm and others were responding to Wednesday night, not the shooting itself.
“We do not believe that the other two suspects that were part of the original call were involved in the shooting of our deputy,” he said.
Dressed in uniform, McIntosh took a deep breath before reading from a prepared statement. The news conference, which lasted about 20 minutes at a sheriff’s office substation in Commerce City, took place in front of a makeshift memorial of floral bouquets, candles, stuffed animals and miniature American flags placed on the hood of a marked patrol SUV. Adults and children visited the site and left memorial items.
Gumm was 31 and married. He started his career as a deputy in 2012, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff decried what he called “a lot of inaccurate information out there” about
the case, but he declined to cite any examples when asked by a reporter. He criticized the media for publishing the suspect’s name and photograph and said the premature release of information could jeopardize the murder investigation.
Dreion Martise Dearing, 22, is being held at the Adams County jail on suspicion of three first-degree murder charges and a felony burglary charge.
Gumm was shot in the 8700 block of Dawson Street in Thornton as he and other deputies chased a suspect at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The deputies were responding to a disturbance call involving at least three men.
Dearing was arrested shortly after the shooting, and authorities launched a manhunt for the other two men and urged residents to shelter in place while they conducted a search Wednesday night. Schools in the area canceled classes Thursday but said they would be open Friday.
“We continue to search for suspects and process crime scenes in the area. Please be patient with us as we continue to investigate,” the sheriff’s department said in a tweet sent at 10:41 a.m. Thursday.
According to a summary of the shooting released early Thursday morning, the deputies went to a home on Dawson Street to investigate a report of an assault in progress. A man ran from the deputies and ducked behind a house. When deputies caught up to him, he allegedly began shooting and then ran away. He was later arrested.
Gumm was shot in the chest by a man who fired several rounds from a handgun, sheriff’s spokeswoman Senior Deputy Amanda Overton said at a news briefing late Wednesday night.
The deputy was taken to Denver Health medical center, where he was pronounced dead. Law enforcement officers from throughout the metro area gathered at the hospital for a procession, flashing red and blue lights from their cruisers lighting up the surround- ing streets.
Sandra Muñoz and her family live on Sheldon Drive just north of Edison Street. She said her mother peeked out the window Wednesday night after seeing police lights and witnessed two officers leading a man down the street. The man, who was wearing a backpack, shook free of one of the officers and ran down the block to the north, ducking behind a house, Muñoz said, translating for her mother, who does not speak English. That’s when the elder Muñoz heard gunshots.
“She didn’t know if the gunshots were coming from the police or the guy,” Muñoz said.
The yards of some individual homes in the neighborhood were cordoned off with crime-scene tape. On Thursday morning, a woman emerged from one of those homes on Edison, near where Munoz said she saw the suspect run away from deputies, talk to officers gathered in front of the home and head down the block to the mobile command center.
Dearing is scheduled to appear in Adams County District Court at 1:30 p.m. Friday before Judge Patrick Murphy for his first advisement hearing. He is being held on two counts of first-degree murder of a peace officer and one count of first-degree murder after deliberation.
He has a prior criminal history in Colorado including a conviction in 2014 for robbery in Denver. He was sentenced to four years in the Colorado Department of Corrections in that case. He received credit for 311 days served, according to court records. In 2013, he was arrested on charges of second-degree assault and robbery, but those were dismissed by the Denver District Attorney.
Law enforcement set up a large perimeter Wednesday night, and SWAT teams, Aurora police and canine units assisted in the search. Anyone with information is asked to call 720-322-1313.
A steady stream of law enforcement officers and people going about their morning business came through the 7-Eleven at 1066 East 88th Ave. on Thursday morning.
Manager Rupin Singh said police ordered the store shut for four or five hours after the shooting. When the store reopened, the exit from its parking lot onto Dawson Drive remained blocked by crime-scene tape.
Joelynn Colvin, who lives in the nearby Corona Village Condos, was in the store Thursday morning. She said she and her boyfriend came back from the gym around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to find police outside their thirdfloor condo.
They were allowed to leave to go the pharmacy, she said, but when they got back they encountered a SWAT team and were stopped by officers with guns drawn.
“They ran our names and took pictures of us on their phones,” Colvin said. “There are still police all over my building.”
“There is always police activity over here,” she said. “We didn’t think it was anything like a police officer being killed. That’s sad. I hope they catch the other two people.”
Dozens of officers remained in the neighborhood Thursday. Resident Richard Garcia walked by the row of roped-off blocks after dropping his truck off at a nearby repair shop Thursday. With all of the law enforcement officers around, he said he’s not worried about his safety even with reports of suspects at large.
“There’s only two things that could be going on right now: They know somebody in this area who is hiding them or they’re not here,” he said of the suspects.