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Officer Shot During Traffic Stop Identified And Recovering, Suspect At Large

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - The Commerce City Police Department has released the name of an officer who was shot in the chest during a traffic stop Sunday morning.

According to police, Officer Kevin Lord is home recovering and his family is thanking everyone for their support.

Officer Kevin Lord
Officer Kevin Lord (credit: Commerce City Police Department)

The gunman is still at large and a large-scale effort is underway to locate him.

The traffic stop took place early Sunday morning near East 96th Avenue on Peoria Street. Police say the officer and the driver were talking when the driver pulled out a gun and shot the officer in the chest.

The officer was wearing a bullet-proof vest and the vest stopped the bullet.

Officer Shot (4)
(credit: CBS)

"The suspect was in close proximity to the officer and still serious injuries, even though the vest stopped the round," said Commerce City police Cmdr. Dennis Moon.

Commerce City police issued a Blue Alert in the case, which means a notice about the crime is being flashed on signs across along Colorado highways.

Officer Shot (1)
(credit: CBS)

Officer Shot (2)

Moon told CBS4 Monday morning that Lord is in a significant amount of pain.

"Words cannot begin to express the outpouring of love, prayers and support we have felt from the law enforcement community and the community at large. Kevin is a fighter and our family is focused on his recovery. At this time, we ask the media and public to respect our privacy and focus on the one thing that matters: catching the suspect and bringing him to justice," Lord's family said in a statement.

According to Moon, Lord was already a recipient of the department's Purple Heart award after he was assaulted in July of 2013.

"Officer Lord was conducting proactive foot patrol in homes under construction when he interrupted a burglary in progress. When attempting to arrest the suspect, Officer Lord was assaulted and sustained injuries deserving of the department's Purple Heart award," Moon said.

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 vehicle may have minor right rear bumper damage and may have damage from the shots the officer fired at the vehicle.

Officer Shot (3)

The suspect is described as a white male in his late 40s/early 50s, with brown hair, thin build, wearing glasses and a black and white scarf around his neck. The Commerce City Police Department has requested the assistance of the Adams County Critical Incident to team to assist with the investigation.

Anyone with information is requested to call 911 or contact Commerce City Police Department at (303) 289-3626.

Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now reports for CBS4 News at 10 and is always open to story ideas. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.

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