MESA COUNTY, COLORADO – At 11:06 am, deputies with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 500 Block of Fruitvale Court on a report of a suspicious male with a gun. The male was seen walking south, crossing I-70 Business Loop and the railroad tracks south of the roadway. A description of the suspicious male was aired and Deputy Derek Geer contacted a male matching the description near E Road and 30 1/2 Road.
After a short interaction, in which Deputy Geer told the suspect he was being detained as part of the weapons investigation, the suspect attempted to flee. Deputy Geer deployed his taser. The suspect then fired several rounds at Deputy Geer, striking him multiple times. The suspect then fled the scene on foot.
Other deputies, responding to the initial call, arrived and found Deputy Geer unresponsive. At 11:17 am, the deputies notified dispatch of an “officer down.” Deputy Geer was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital with life threatening injuries where he remains at this time.
Law enforcement officers from every agency on the valley responded to the area to assist in the search for the suspect. At 12:04 pm, the suspect, a 17 year old white male, was taken into custody. Charges are pending.
The investigation into the incident has been turned over to the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team.
Deputy Geer is a Navy veteran and has been employed with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office since October 2001. He is a husband and father of two children, 13 and 11. -Press Release by Sheriff Matt Lewis
