Officer Involved Shooting Kit Carson County, March 1, 2017

On March 1, 2017, at approximately 11:04 a.m., the KCC Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a female who indicated she had just “been robbed”. The woman was Patsy Berryhill, and she was employed at the Conoco gas station in Stratton, CO. While several officers responded to dispatch, it was KCC Sgt. Travis Belden who located the suspect vehicle at the Seibert Travel Plaza in Seibert, CO. After Sgt. Belden began to conduct a “felony stop,” the suspect opened his driver’s door, immediately turned to face Sgt. Belden, while simultaneously beginning to bring a black looking hand-gun up and point it directly at Sgt. Belden. It was at this point that Sgt. Belden fired three consecutive shots from his weapon, striking the suspect, who fell to the ground. The suspect was soon after detained and handcuffed. Further, he was given first aid and taken by ambulance to Burlington Hospital. The suspect ultimately survived his injuries as a result of being fired upon by Sgt. Belden.

After investigating and reviewing the relevant facts and measuring them against the law, it was determined that the use of deadly force by Sgt. Travis Belden was clearly justified.