The gunman who left a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy dead and others wounded in an ambush-style attack on Sunday made the 911 call that brought officers to his apartment door, and he livestreamed the video of the confrontation.
9News obtained the Periscope video before it was taken down. One clip shows Matthew Riehl making a 911 call to complain about an altercation with a roommate in a Highlands Ranch apartment complex. During the call he tells the operator that he has weapons.
"I do have some weapons, I own firearms. I have been, I've had some Scotch. You know, I'm not here to hurt anybody but yes I do have firearms,” he can be heard saying.
When the officers enter Riehl's apartment, he continues the livestream.
"I don't have any guns on me OK? I'll be a minute, just give me a second,” he says. Moments later, Riehl opens fire.
Douglas County Deputy Zackari Parrish, died in the shooting. He was a 29-year-old married father of two children, and had been with the agency for about seven months.
Three other deputies, Michael Doyle, 28; Taylor Davis, 30; and Jeffrey Pelle, 32; and Castle Rock police officer Tom O'Donnell, 41, were injured. Two civilians were also injured.
Riehl posted a YouTube video Dec. 13 calling for the firing of Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock and railing against him in highly personal terms, The Associated Press previously reported. Riehl wears an Iraq combat veteran hat in the post; a National Guard spokeswoman told KUSA-TV that Riehl served briefly in Iraq.
Colorado authorities were previously contacted with concerns about Riehl’s mental health. Wyoming College of Law students had been warned about Riehl, a former student, because of social media posts critical of professors at the school in Laramie, reported KTWO-AM in Casper, Wyoming.
Campus officers called police in Lone Tree in mid-November to warn them about Riehl, suggesting his rants were indicative of mental illness, UW Police Chief Mike Samp told The Denver Post.
