Man Shoots Himself During Suspected DUI Traffic Stop

LYONS, CO -- One man killed himself during a traffic stop by Boulder County Sheriff's deputies on Friday evening. Just after 7:30 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the area of N. St Vrain Drive and Apple Valley Road on the report of a drunk driver. The deputy located and contacted the reported white truck, driven by a 55-year-old Lyons man, in the 200 block of Evans Street.

According to a release by the Boulder County Sheriff's office, after the deputy spoke with the driver to obtained his license and vehicle paperwork, he returned to his patrol car to wait for a second deputy before administering a roadside sobriety test. While he was waiting, he noticed the man start to move around inside the truck, became concerned about the man's actions, and decided to return to the truck to investigate what he was doing.

The driver produced a handgun and placed it to his head, threatening to shoot himself. The deputy, along with a second deputy who arrived shortly, attempted to negotiate with the man and convince him to put the weapon down. The man remained unresponsive to the deputies' instructions and offer of help, even as he exited the truck.

After several minutes of unresponsive negotiations, the man shot himself unannounced. Deputies immediately gave medical aid to the man, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The man's death will be jointly investigated by the sheriff's office and the Boulder County Coroner's Office. It has not yet been determined what may have led the man to shoot himself.

The preliminary investigation quickly confirmed that no deputies fired their weapons during the interaction.

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