Colorado Deputy Killed On Work Anniversary; State Mourns Loss

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- A Colorado deputy was killed Monday, making him the third deputy in the state to be killed in recent days. Three other officers and two civilians were wounded in the shooting that was began when authorities were investigating an auto theft.

The suspect was killed at the scene but authorities released little information about what else happened.
El Paso County Deputy Micah Flick celebrated his 11th anniversary with the department when he was shot and killed. Flick, 34, is survived by his wife and 7-year-old twins.

The incident started around 4 p.m. when authorities from the El Paso Sheriff's Department, Colorado Springs Police and Colorado State Patrol investigated a vehicle theft in the 4400 block of Galley Road, said Pete Carey, chief of the Colorado Springs Police Department.

A struggle ensued with a male suspect during the attempted arrest when shots were fired. The injured were taken to nearby Memorial Hospital where one officer underwent surgery.

Flick is one of three deputies to be killed in recent days. Deputy Zack Parrish was killed and several other officers injured Dec. 31, and Deputy Heath Gumm was shot Jan. 24.
In a statement, Gov. John Hickenlooper called the latest shooting a "senseless act of violence."
"With the recent loss of now three deputies and many others injured, there's no denying the grave impact this sequence of shootings is having on our state," Hickenlooper said. "We will once more come together to provide sympathy and strength for the deputy's loved ones and pray for the recovery of those injured; however, we also must come together and say enough is enough. We want each officer, every deputy, to know we are grateful for their service."
Eight officers in the U.S. have been killed in the line of duty since the start of the year. In 2017, 128 were killed, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
--Photo via El Paso County Sheriff's Department
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Deputy Killed, Officers Shot In Colorado Springs