Man shot in police confrontation has died
Officer remains on administrative leave, chief says
A man shot in a confrontation with Sterling police earlier this month had died of his wounds.
Sterling Police Chief Tyson Kerr confirmed Tuesday that 54year-old Douglas Sanchez of Sterling had died of gunshot wounds he suffered on Oct. 6. Kerr said he didn’t know the exact date that Sanchez died but a family member has notified the Journal-advocate that death occurred on Oct. 19.
Sanchez had been sought in connection with a Sept. 30 shooting in which he allegedly fired three shots from a .22 caliber rifle at a man who was working on a car in the 800 block of N. Sixth Street. The intended victim was not injured.
Sanchez was reported sighted in Sterling a week later and officers found him in a car in the 400 block of S. Sixth Avenue. The of ficer recognized Sanchez when he exited the vehicle and ran into an alley. The officer gave chase on foot for a short distance. According to an SPD release, Sanchez then “stopped, turned and confronted the of ficer. Mr. Sanchez brandished a weapon and was shot by a Sterling Police Officer.”
Sanchez was transported to Sterling Regional Medcenter and later flown to a Denver-area hospi-tal where he later died.
No officers or bystanders were injured in the altercation.
Kerr said Tuesday that the shooting is still under investigation. The of ficer involved, who has not been identified, is still on administrative leave.
Meanwhile, the investigation into a May officer-involved shooting is nearly wrapped up.
“That one is complete from our standpoint,” Kerr said. “Morgan County’s task force’s investigation is complete and it’s been sent to the (District Attorney’s) office, so we’re still waiting on that.”
In May, 28-year-old Tyler Wayne Kracht of For t Collins was shot and killed by SPD Officer Austin Molcyk, after a high-speed chase that ended in a crash near Hillrose. Kracht, a former Sterling resident with ties to the community, was a suspect in a shooting incident in Sterling that occurred two days prior, and was also wanted on a failure to appear warrant out of Loveland on weapons and drug charges, and by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office in a domestic violence related case.