(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s (DA) Office has ruled an officer’s use of deadly force in a May shooting on the southeast side of Colorado Springs justified, due to the imminent threat to officers and the surrounding neighborhood.
40-year-old Michael Ray Hurst Jr. was killed on the evening of May 18 in the 4200 block of Deerfield Hills Road, near the intersection of South Academy Boulevard and Hancock Expressway. The incident followed a 911 call made by Hurst’s mother, reporting that her son, a paraplegic, was suicidal and she suspected he had been using methamphetamines. She also reported he had gotten ahold of a rifle.
While on the phone with responders, a shot was heard inside the home, which Hurst’s mother believed was him firing into the ceiling. His mother then crawled from her bedroom window to get to safety.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man killed in OIS allegedly threatened to kill officers
A review by the DA’s Office states that Hurst shot down a drone being used by the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), and that he allegedly made threats against the responding officers by pointing out how he was a good shot for taking down the drone. Hurst also made derogatory comments on law enforcement and said things like “I’ll shoot you too” to officers on scene.