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Man Who Shot Park County Deputies Had Killed Before

BAILEY, Colo. (CBS4) - The man who shot three Park County deputies, killing one, was part of an anti-establishment movement in Denver and posted videos ranting against the government and police.

Martin Wirth, 58, was killed in the shootout Wednesday morning while deputies were trying to serve an eviction notice. The shooting killed Cpl. Nate Carrigan, a 13-year veteran of the sheriff's office.

nate carrigan
Park County Sheriff Cpl. Nate Carrigan (credit: Park County Sheriff)

Wirth was known to be one of the older members of the Occupy movement in Denver, but that wasn't the only place he expressed his anti-police and government opinions. He spent many years in a battle, mostly with his mortgage company. In a YouTube video he explained why he didn't make payments on his Park County home near Bailey, which he eventually lost.

"I did not pay mortgage to a bunch of crooks," Wirth said in the video.

Martin Wirth
Martin Wirth appearing on a YouTube video (credit: CBS)

Wirth had filed a federal complaint in 2013 in an effort to have state foreclosure laws repealed. A magistrate threw the case out.

In 2013 Wirth ran for state Senate, and on his candidate Facebook page began a verbal battle against police, calling them "a danger to us all. Because I write such things, cops want me dead."

DEPUTIES SHOT SUSPECT 10PKG.Consolidated.01
(credit: CBS)

"It didn't have to happen," said Tim Holland, who met Wirth during the Occupy movement in Denver.

Holland was shocked to hear his friend was involved in a deadly shootout with authorities because he says Wirth was not a violent person.

"I don't believe what the cops are saying about what happened," he said. "But then again I think it's pretty violent to show up to someone's house with guns to take their house from them. I think that's pretty violent."

Tim Holland
Tim Holland is interviewed by CBS4's Kelly Werthmann (credit: CBS)

Holland believes when Wirth opened fire on deputies Wednesday morning he was acting in self-defense.

"The way I see it is Martin had reached the end of the line and he ... he did what he did," Holland said.

Wednesday's shooting was not the first time Wirth killed someone. According to The Coloradoan in Fort Collins, Wirth was acquitted for the 1994 killing his Fort Collins neighbor over a chess game.

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