$20,000 Reward Offered To Find Man Who Shot Commerce City Police Officer
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - A $20,000 reward is being offered for information that helps authorities find a man who shot a Commerce City police officer.
A sketch has been released of the man on the run after shooting Officer Kevin Lord.
The shooting happened on Sunday during a traffic stop in Commerce City.
The man is described by police as being desperate and dangerous. That's why they hope people will look at the sketch and determine if the man is someone they know or someone they've seen recently. Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call 911.
Lord made contact with the man who was parked on the side of the road right before the shooting. He was out of his vehicle and standing next to the man's SUV when he was shot in the chest. It happened near East 96th Avenue on Peoria Street.
Lord was wearing a bullet-proof vest but still sustained serious injuries.
The suspect is described as a white male in his late 40s or early 50s, with brown hair, thin build, wearing glasses and a black and white scarf around his neck.
Commerce City Police Chief Troy Smith at a news conference on Thursday pointed out that the man was wearing a unique scarf and damaged eyeglasses.
"The scarf you see depicted in the sketch is not a bandana-type scarf. It is known as a shima. It's a black and white houndstooth patterned scarf. Shimas were formally worn by soldiers in desert environments," Smith said. "While more recently they have become a fashion accessory, they are not widely used and we believe this is a unique piece of information that may help us identify the suspect.
"The corner glasses frame worn by the suspect was held together by black tape."
An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives called the suspect a "menace." At the end of the news conference the police chief urged the man to turn himself in.
Lord was a recipient of the Commerce City Police Department's Purple Heart award after he was assaulted in July 2013.
Additional Resources
The Commerce City Police Department shared the following information about this case:
The suspect's vehicle is described as a late-90's model maroon Nissan Pathfinder, with possible Colorado license plate of 679UNZ or 697UNZ. The plates may have been changed. The vehicle may have minor right rear bumper damage and may have damage from the shots the officer fired at the vehicle.
Additional Information From The CommercePolice Department
Remain anonymous and earn up to $2,000. Call Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867). Text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter the message, or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com; or use the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers mobile app which is immediately available as a free download on smartphones.
